Hello, hello! Welcome to the dog days of summer in the northern hemisphere, and the coziest, frozen days of winter for those south of the equator! (is there an equivalent term like “dog days of summer” for winter? If so, I can’t remember it. Tell me in the comments!). For my family July held our usual church camps plus road trip to visit family in Missouri. That “Ultimate Summer Vacation (USV)” as my kids call it is definitely one of the highlights of our year. My daughter has been immersed in the Percy Jackson and the Olympians book series for the first time, and my husband and I introduced our kids to one of our favorite board games (Firefly…yes, based on the TV show). I’ve also really noticed this summer that the kids are making that pre-teen transition: not fully kids with kid-like interests anymore, but also not fully teenagers yet. It’s a whole new world! We’re also still embracing a summertime schedule, so the return to a work and school schedule is going to be quite an adjustment! What do you mean I can’t take an hour to savor my coffee while reading my novel? Why is this alarm clock going off so early?
On the writing front, I have been less motivated than I wanted to be this summer, only eking out chapters because the women in my fantastic writing group (hi Cate and Suzanne!) have been keeping me accountable. I’m also still planning a new book release for later this year! It will be my third novel, a funny, feel-good love story with a romantic, lit-loving CEO with a broken heart, and a serious and kind bachelor who doesn’t believe in love. I love this story, truly. so stay tuned for news on that!
Enough chit-chat, here’s what I’ve been reading!
Tom Lake by Ann Patchett. If you’re an Ann Patchett fan, you’ve probably read Tom Lake, and I think it’s a beloved classic for a reason. Throughout the course of cherry-harvesting season, a mother tells her adult daughters the story of the summer she did summer stock theater and dated a now-famous actor. It’s both quiet and page-turning, beautiful writing, and a good balance of the dual stories Character-driven. Quiet but also page-turning and compelling. It’s a story about the falling dominoes nature of our choices, about the intensity of youth versus the solidity of lived experience. It has nostalgia without regret.
The Scholar, The Good Turn, and The Unquiet Grave by Dervla McTiernan. I dove headfirst into the Cormac Reilly series by Dervla McTiernan, and after a good-but-messy first novel, the following three were top notch. Layered, fast-paced plots, interesting characters, and a grounded, vivid setting (anyone want to come to Ireland with me?).
The Murder Rule by Dervla McTiernan. This is a standalone novel, a twisty, legal thriller set in Virginia about justice and revenge, and about doing the right thing when you aren’t sure what that right thing is. Like McTiernan’s other novels, it’s a tightly plotted, page-turner, perfect for fans of classic John Grisham.
Spells for Forgetting by Adrienne Young. This novel was moody and atmospheric with vivid, lyrical writing. There’s a mystery, magic, and an intense we’re-bound-by-fate-and-magic kind of love story. It’s immersive, easy read.
Thanks for being here! Let’s talk again soon.
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