Browsing a bookshop not long ago, a bookseller raved about a newly released novel. She could not say enough good things about the book. So, I bought it. Well, despite her high praise and the hundreds of stellar reviews online, it was not the book for me. I gave up on it… My philosophy? Life is too short to lumber through a book I don’t enjoy.
But here are some books I have loved this summer.
Anna Bright Is Hiding Something by Susie Orman Schnall
For readers fascinated by entrepreneur Elizabeth Holmes and the Theranos fraud saga, this novel is the perfect book to tuck into your beach tote this summer!
I raced through Schnall’s latest and loved everything about it – the style, the voice, the pacing, and the backdrop of Silicon Valley and the venture capital world.
Anna Bright, the founder of BrightLife, is about to take her company public. She and her team created BrightSpot, an implantable lens that will change how people live. However, there are problems with the lens and subdermal microchip. And Anna knows this… Dead set on leading her company through an IPO, she ignores the issues and misleads the public.
Nothing will stop her from succeeding.
Especially not Jamie Roman, a young BusinessBerry journalist specializing in startup culture and female founders.
I found the subject matter fascinating – strong women and what they face in the workforce, an excellent introduction to startup stages and mentality. And I enjoy a good how-in-the-world-could-she story. But I also realize an invention similar to BrightSpot is coming in our not-too-distant future.
Summer Romance by Annabel Monaghan
“You can’t just keep doing what you’re doing and wait for it to turn into something happy. You kind of have to look for the happy things along the way.”
To jumpstart the summer in a delightful way, Annabel Monaghan is back! Since I devoured Nora Goes Off Script back in 2022, this author’s books are automatic reads for me.
I want to be friends with Monaghan and her novels’ characters. As always, in her latest book, the author writes in a conversational tone, with characters who are relatable, fun, and unsure of themselves. And they have lots and lots of flaws.
Ali and her three kids live in Beechwood, NY, a small coastal town wedged between Manhattan and Connecticut. They celebrate the last day of the school year with a tradition her late mom began – one I might incorporate! – “toasting” to a champagne summer.
As Ali, a professional organizer, winds her way through the summer – and divorce proceedings – she tries to figure out what’s next in her life. She takes some chances, steps out of her comfort zone, and meets dreamy Ethan.
And she feels lighter, happier, and terrified. Two thumbs up for this novel!
Welcome to the Neighborhood by Lisa Roe
Cheers to the characters in this novel – except for Rand – and the 60-something author who published her first novel two years ago!
I plowed through this quick-moving, feel-good novel with its cast of characters I adored. Ginny is a single mom, working hard to raise her quirky 11-year-old daughter, Harri, in Queens, NY. After Ginny marries kind and thoughtful Jeff, she and Harri move into his luxurious home – filled with his exes’s stuff – in a fancy New Jersey suburb.
Ginny and Harri struggle to settle into their new roles and schools. And attempt to forge friendships with the picture-perfect neighbors and their entitled kids.
Readers will discover lots to love about this book – including a dog named Penny. Besides the mother/daughter relationship, Roe showcases fresh starts and the importance of remaining true to oneself. I stayed up waaaaay past my bedtime flipping the pages!
The Frozen River by Ariel Lawhon
In this beautifully crafted novel, Ms. Lawhon writes of the real midwife and healer, Martha Ballard. Although not historically accurate, the story is inspired by true events, crimes, and history.
In the late 1700s, a body is pulled from the frozen river that slices through Hallowell, Maine. The dead man is Joshua Burgess, and none of the townsfolk mourn his passing.
Although not an uplifting tale, the story will grab readers as it unfolds. Martha is witness to the details of her neighbors’ private lives through her profession, and their secrets remain safe with her.
I found the historical details – candle making, no clocks, mostly illiterate women – interesting. I did wonder why the author bothered to include the silver fox, but the author’s note – don’t read the note until you’ve read the book! – explained that detail.
The Heiress by Rachel Hawkins
Because of all the buzz surrounding this bestseller, I couldn’t wait to dig into it. Confession – the style took a minute to get used to, perhaps because I read on a Kindle. But, once I settled into the format, I was off.
Kidnapped when she was a toddler, Ruby was reunited with her parents several months later. She grew up in a privileged environment and went on to marry four times. Each of her husbands died of various causes. Coincidence or not?
One of North Carolina’s wealthiest women, Ruby presided over Tavistock from her family’s Blue Ridge Mountain estate. After her death, her adopted son finally returned to Ashbury House to sort through Ruby’s directives and deal with the dysfunctional family who resents him.
This novel proves that family ties do last forever, and rich people oftenbehave badly!
Happy Reading! Click here for some other great books.
Let’s Talk Books:
Do you feel compelled to finish a book? How long do you read a book before you bail? (Me – about 50 pages.) Is there a book you gave up on, returned to at a later date, and ended up enjoying?
