What I've Read This Summer...So Far! (Part 2)

As you might guess, I love to read.  Being a librarian means that I am constantly bombarded with new books so my to-read list is constantly growing.  I hope to be able to share my recommended reads with you at least once a month.  Summer is prime reading time for me and I shared 5 great books with you in my last post.  Here are a few more from my summer reading pile that I hope you'll check out.

The Identicals by Elin Hilderbrand

One cannot live in Massachusetts and not read Elin Hilderbrand's summer novels. In addition to her usual Nantucket setting this novel also is set in Martha's Vineyard.  It is the story of identical twin sisters who are separated in high school when their parents divorce, bringing to mind the movie The Parent Trap.  The girls do a rock, paper, scissors contest to see who will get to live in Martha's Vineyard with their blue-collar contractor father, Billy and Harper wins.  Tabitha goes to live with her blue-blood fashion designer (think Lily Pulitzer) mother on Nantucket.  Although the islands are only a ferry ride apart, the twins become estranged and lead very different lives.  But then circumstances reunite them after years apart in a novel about family, sisterhood, forgiveness and love. This is  great beach read with a bit of romance, but mostly it is a story of two sisters.


The Story of Arthur Truluv by Elizabeth Berg
Berg has written a beautiful story about loneliness and family. Arthur at 82 spends every afternoon visiting the grave of his wife Nula and communing with the dead buried around her. Maddy is a high school senior who spend her lunch period at the cemetery seeking the peacefulness that evades her among the bullies at her school. These two strangers will come to find in each other just what they need - a true family. The addition of bossy octogenarian Lucille makes the little family complete. This is a seemingly simple story that draws on deep emotions and insight. The power of love and kindness among strangers can fill the deepest depth of loneliness and despair. The reader will fall in love the man whom Maddy nicknames "Truluv."

The Sunshine Sisters by Jane Green

This is a story of mothers and daughters set against the background of Hollywood.  Ronnie Sunshine is a movie actress who has completely failed in the role of mother.  Her actions alienated her three daughters from both her and each other.  The oldest, Nell, finds a home away from all her mother's glamour on a Connecticut farm.  She raises her son on her own not far from her mother in miles, but very far away in lifestyle.  Middle daughter, Meredith, never thin or pretty enough for her gorgeous mother' approval, flees to England.  Suffering from low self-esteem, she is engaged to an overly critical and controlling man.The youngest, Lizzie, was born much later and received more of her mother's attention.  She has found success as a television chef but is following in her mother's footsteps as far as her family life is concerned.  All three are called to their mother's bedside expecting the usual hypochondria, only to realize something is very wrong.  Will Ronnie be able to fix things between the sisters after all these years?

The Pearl Thief by Elizabeth Wein  (YA fiction)

This one is YA fiction, but it has great crossover appeal for adults.  I highly recommend the sequel which was published in 2012, Code Name Verity.  One of my favorites.
This prequel to Code Name Verity, introduces readers to a young Scottish girl named Julie Stuart who becomes embroiled in a mystery at her family’s estate in Scotland. Set in the summer of 1938, Julie returns early from boarding school as her family is packing up her grandparents estate which is being sold to cover debts. Stopping by the river, Julie is hit on the head and wakes up 3 days later with no memory of what happened. But feisty Julie is determined to find out why someone knocked her out and how it relates to the missing Hugh Houseman, who was working to catalog her family’s treasures for a museum. Julie was rescued after her assault by a family of Scottish Travellers and befriends brother and sister, Euan and Ellen McEwan. This is a story full of mystery and danger where class issues between the Scots and the Travellers have been brewing over centuries. The book is filled with Scottish terminology that careful readers will be find easily decipherable. Those who have already met Julie in the sequel will welcome a chance to spend more time with her, while new readers will be eager to follow her story in the next book.

Seven Days of Us by Francesca Hornak

A family that is quarantined for a week during Christmas break finds that too much togetherness can reveal both fractures in relationships and chances for new beginnings. Olivia, a doctor who has been treating victims of the Haag virus in Africa, returns to spend her quarantine with her parents and younger sister, Phoebe at the family's country estate. The entire Birch family is united under one roof, but are separated from each other nevertheless. Andrew Birch is an acerbic restaurant critic who regrets giving up his calling as a war correspondent for his family. His wife, the endearing Emma, is overjoyed to have both girls home but is hiding a secret. Self-centered Phoebe is wrapped up in her wedding plans and resents Olivia getting so much attention. Olivia has trouble adjusting to a 1st world life after so much time spent in 3rd world countries. Told in alternating chapters by the Birches, including Jesse a young man who has traveled from the US to England to find his birth father, this is a wonderful story of family, filled with both heartbreak and humor. Highly recommended.

Class Mom by Laurie Gelman

This is a hilarious look at parental politics as experienced by Jen Dixon, an experienced kindergarten class mom. In addition her 5 year-old Max with husband Ron, Jen has two daughters in college, one of whom she thinks may be the offspring of Michael Hutchence of INXs. Jen has been here before and she fills her emails with lots of snark and humor that is quickly misunderstood by some moms who are more than willing to take over the position. Jen finds herself dealing with an elementary school crush who happens to be a class dad, a mom who's son is allergic to everything, another mom who sees herself as queen bee, and a very sexy kindergarten teacher. Full of humor and reminiscent of Where'd You Go Bernadette by Maria Semple, this one is sure to be a hit with moms everywhere! 

What I've Read This Summer...So Far! (Part 1)

I love the summer!  The warm sun and longer days mean that I get to spend more time outdoors doing what I love best...reading! I haven't made it to the beach this summer, but I have spent many sunny days on my back deck with a good book.   Here are some I think you'd find worth reading. More to come in next week's post!

The Seven Rules of Elvira Carr by Frances Maynard.  

Fans of The Rosie Project by Grahame Simsion and Be Frank With Me by Julia Clairborne Johnson will find lots of similarities in this novel about a young woman who has been sheltered all her life by her mother due to "incidents."  Readers will realize that Elvira falls somewhere on the Autism spectrum and the author's experience as a teacher of adults with learning difficulties shines through.  When Elvira's mother suffers a fall and ends up hospitalized, Elvira must learn to survive by herself in the world she finds confusing.  Luckily, she has a neighbor willing to help as well as a list of rules of conduct that she tries to follow.  A heartwarming coming-of-age story.


Our Little Racket by Angelica Baker

The lives of four women in wealthy Greenwich Connecticut begin to unravel when an investment bank goes under in 2008.  Isabel D'Amico with her old money elegance finds her spot as the woman to envy in town usurped when her Brooklyn born husband's bank fails.  Her best friend Nina is there to lend support and Xanax, but finds herself caught up in the gossip as rumors of  bankruptcy and criminal charges follow Bob D'Amico. 15-year old Madison has always been a daddy's girl, but she begins to uncover some shady secrets that Bob has kept hidden. Her best friend Amanda's father focuses his newspaper column of exposing Bob which strains the girl's friendship.  A story about the American dream,  having and losing it all.

Saints for All Occasions by J. Courtney Sullivan

Two young Irish Catholic sisters, Nora and Theresa Flynn, emigrate from Ireland to Boston in the 1950s.  Nora, at age 21, is heading off to marry a man you doesn't really love in order to provide for her family. Seventeen year old Theresa is a fun-loving girl who loves being away from the restrictive rural village and lives for fashion and dancing. When Theresa ends up pregnant the two make a decision that will tear them apart for decades.  A family death will finally bring Nora, the mother of four grown children, and Nora a cloistered nun face to face. This is a story of family and sisterhood that explores secrets and forgiveness, love and loss.


The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid

Evelyn Hugo is a Hollywood star who is famous for not only her roles, but the fact that she married seven times.  At 80 years old and having outlived all seven husbands, Evelyn is finally ready to tell her story.  We learn of her early years in Hell's' Kitchen, the loss of her mother and her determination to find fame and fortune.  But which of her seven husbands was the love of her life. Or is there a secret that Evelyn has yet to reveal?





White Crysanthemum by Mary Lynn Bracht  (To be published in January 2018)

This is a heartbreaking story of two Korean sisters and their experiences during the Japanese occupation of Korea.  In 1943, 16-year old Hana is a "haenyeo," one of the "women of the sea."  These strong, powerful women work only for themselves and dive deep under the sea harvesting seafood to support their families.  Hanna and her younger sister Emiko have grown up speaking Japanese and are banned from their own Korean language and culture.  The novel tells the story of Hana beginning in 1943 and of Emi in 2011.  Hana is taken by Japanese soldiers and forced to become a 'comfort woman" in a military brothel.  Despite her terrible experiences, Hana never gives up on her pride or her heritage.  Meanwhile, Emi is a grandmother who has spent her life feeling guilty over her sister's abduction.  These two strong, resilient women illustrate the courage of women in times of war.  This is a moving story of two sisters that brings to light a piece of Korean history that few may know.