Welcome to Quick Lit, where I share short and sweet reviews of what I’ve been reading lately on (or around) the 15th of the month, and invite you to do the same.
This has been a satisfying and thoroughly “summer” reading month: compared to the hecticness of the end of school, my reading pace has increased significantly and I’m loving it. (It’s not necessarily good or bad to read more books, unless that is what you want—and it’s what I wanted!) We’ve been languishing in this heat dome for a full month now, which has been miserable in many ways but has also been most amenable to indoorsy activities like reading in the air conditioning—and occasionally, when I wake up very early, on the back patio.
In mid-summer I like to read a little old and a little new. This month the “new” looks like books that weren’t yet on my radar or that I wasn’t able to get an advance copy of when I was putting together the 2024 Summer Reading Guide (Joselyn Takac’s Pearce Oysters and John Vercher’s Devil Is Fine), a spring release that sounded interesting-but-not-urgent until events conspired to make it the-book-I-HAD-to-read-next (Rita Bullwinkel’s Headshot), two critically claimed literary novels from the past several years (Colm Tóibín’s The Magician and Isabella Hamad’s Enter Ghost), and a quirky little how-to book (Peter Miller’s How to Wash the Dishes).
I also listened to half the books featured in today’s new edition of Quick Lit on audio: I’ve noted those below. I’m not entirely sure why, but I’ve been listening at a faster clip than I was in the spring and thus have plenty of good stuff to share on the audiobook front!
Of course, not all my reading is reflected here: many of the new books I’m reading publish in the fall, and I’m excited to feature them in our 2024 Fall Book Preview when the time is right. We’ll tell you more about that next month.
But for now, I would never wish summer reading season away: our Summer Reading Guide is available now, and packed with an eclectic mix of standout selections for your summer reading consideration. If you also like to read a mix of old and new, you’ll be happy to discover the many backlist recs included in our special features. Click here to get your Guide.
I hope you find something that looks intriguing for your TBR on this list (and in these comments), and I look forward to browsing your recent reads below. Thanks in advance for sharing your short and sweet book reviews with us here!
I featured this in my 2024 beach reading report, but it was such a standout I don't want you to miss it: I bought this Aspen Words Literary Prize winner back in April when I was shopping with WSIRN alum Allison Matz at the Grand Rapids bookstore Books & Mortar. When Allison spotted it on a display and called it her favorite book of the year (or some similar superlative), I snatched up a copy immediately—and saved it for my beach reading. This was an excellent choice, as it proved to be the kind of book I had to read slowly: smart, reflective, and beautifully written. I knew very little about it going in and was surprised to discover it’s a theater book: in the wake of a destabilizing break-up, a Palestinian actress flees London and returns home to visit her Palestinian family in Haifa after a long absence, and while there is persuaded to join an Arabic production of Hamlet. This story demanded a close reading, and on top of that I often paused to google names, places, and the region's history, both for my understanding of the plot and timeline and to satisfy my own curiosity. While not at all the same, in many ways it reminded me of Hala Alyan’s The Arsonist’s City. More info →
A Summer Reading Guide rabbit trail led me to this undeniably earnest yet whimsical instructional volume about how to not only take on the titular task, but to enjoy doing it. Miller’s own enjoyment of the dishwashing process and his love for its many tools is evident here, as he seeks to convince the reader that washing the dishes, in a clean sink, with warm water, is a luxury, that completing this sometimes-dreaded kitchen task can deliver a real sense of accomplishment, and that you would be happier if you set yourself to the work with respect, know-how, and a sense of the greater meaning of the job. Recommended reading for fans of Laundry Love; I liked this little book so much that I devoted a WSIRN One Great Book-style bonus episode to it.) More info →
Dion Graham is one of my favorite narrators, so I pounced on this new June release as soon as it was available on audio and was hooked from the first line. The story centers a biracial Black father grieving the recent death of his seventeen-year-old son, whose life is further unmoored when he inherits a plantation from his estranged white grandfather, and remains of both enslavers and enslaved are immediately discovered on the property. The man (whose name we never learn) is a writer and professor, and he thrills his agent by emailing her in the middle of the night with a book proposal based on these real-life events. But when morning comes he has no memory of writing the proposal his agent loves so much. He grows increasingly concerned as he begins hearing voices—and fears he's turning into a jellyfish. Vercher beautifully incorporates these elements of magical realism into his story to portray a man and father wrestling with past wrongs, and grasping at some sort of way forward. A book club could have a great time with this: there is so much to discuss. More info →
After reading and loving 2024 Summer Reading Guide pick Long Island and its 2009 companion Brooklyn this year, I was eager to read more Tóibín and landed on this 2021 biographical novel based on the life of Thomas Mann. My timing was serendipitous, as I happened to pick this up not long after we returned from our family trip to Germany and it was a delight to see so many of the cities we visited referenced on the page. Despite being a German minor and having read some of his works in school, I knew little about Mann's life and found myself frequently googling and consulting my college texts to compare Tóibín's story with his source material. This was an often challenging and extremely sad work; I came away with it with a deepened appreciation for Tóibín's range. I listened to the audio version, narrated by Gunnar Cauthery. More info →
This was recommended by several readers whose taste I trust; it's a family saga that plays out against the backdrop of the 2010 BP Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. The Pearce family business is oyster farming: they've made for living for decades bringing their in-demand product to market. But when the explosion occurs, it brings their long-simmering personal crises to a boiling point, and creates chaos and despair in the broader community. While I was interested in matriarch May and her two grown sons, this story really shone for its detailed portrayal of the oil spill from the perspective of coastal Louisianans and its impact on the local communities. I listened to the audiobook, narrated by Xavier Casals.
After reading a 2024 Fall Book Preview title where boxing played a surprising role, I reached for this March 2024 release that's been waiting patiently on my shelves all year. What an interesting little book (with a thimble full of weird, for sure): the story takes place at and is structured in the form of a weekend boxing tournament in Reno featuring some of the nation's elite junior female boxers. The book opens with a tournament bracket, and each chapter is comprised of a blow-by-blow account of a single match, from the boxers' perspectives. This was unlike anything else I've read in ages and I loved it for that. More info →
What have YOU been reading lately? Tell us about your recent reads—or share the link to a blog or instagram post about them—in comments.
P.S. I visited two bookstores this month for the first time (or the first time in decades) that weren’t terribly far from home: that top photo was taken at Lexington’s Joseph-Beth Booksellers.
I just finished A Fever in the Heartland about the rise (and fall) of the KKK In the Midwest in the early 1920’s. Fascinating and horrifying. One of the non-fiction books that has you turning the pages like it’s a novel.
I also just finished Swan Song which is everything an Elin Hilderbrand fan would want from her last Nantucket summer novel.
As a non-dishwasher owner (and homeschool mom of four—we eat EVERY meal at home!), How to Wash Dishes sounds right up my alley!
This month I’m reviewing quite a few light “summer reads” including a couple of rom-coms, some magical realism, and a thriller. I also have a beautiful historical novel, Middle Grade fantasy that my kids and I all loved, a couple of very surprising memoirs, and a genre mash-up that was one of the best books I’ve read this year.
I’m currently on the All the Colors of the Dark bandwagon (on audio). I’m also reading Jesmyn Ward’s Let Us Descend, and Animal, Vegetable, Junk for my book club. Devil is Fine sounds intriguing, that may need to go on my TBR.
Kelly Wolterman says:
All Colors of the Dark is on the tip top of my TBR stack. Glad to see that you are liking it!
Michelle Wilson says:
That is such a perfect description of Headshot! Thimbleful of weird! But kind of in the best way? I read it months ago and was just sort of meh but find myself thinking about it.
Kelly Wolterman says:
Two recent reads that I thought outstanding were Dark Ride by Lou Berney and Tall Oaks by Chris Whitaker
Kate B. says:
How the Light Gets In (Novel) by Joyce Maynard; The Leaving Season (memoir) by Kelly McMasters, and on audio Did Ye Hear That Mammy Died (memoir) by Seamus O’Reilly. I recommend them all!
Jill Jaclin says:
We have been traveling in Southeast Asia for the past two weeks (greetings from Indonesia) and have had lots of time to read. My July reads have included Elin Hilderbrand’s “Swan Song” which was a great final book. Loved “Real Americans” by Rachel Khong, “Midnight Feast” by Lucy Foley. Was super excited to try Ovidia Yu’s, “Aunty Lee’s Delights: A Singaporean Mystery “ and it didn’t disappoint. So fun!
Your list is SO wildly varied! Always appreciate your suggestions.
My most recent read has been a game changer for me—> https://michelemorin.net/2024/07/10/holiness-in-the-here-and-now/
How refreshing that we can be an active participant in our own spiritual formation and follow hard after holiness while firmly embedded in 21st-century life.
Ann says:
Reading Middletide by Sarah Crouch and it is reminding me of Where The Crawdads Sing. I’ve just started it though.
I read We Used To Live Here by Marcus Kliewer and what started out interesting soon became two thumbs down.
I have stacks of TBR. My holds are being held hostage at the library after a small hurricane. Hoping they are open today.
So…as our high temps keep on reaching towards 100* here in Maryland I felt like this was a good a time as any to tackle a tome! Ginger raved about this book last year and it has been high up on my TBR. I also watched the interview with Tina Kover (translation) and Anne Bogel. I finished it last night and it was a beautiful piece of story-telling. I’m so glad I read it and the characters will stay with me for a long time.
The Postcard by Anne Berest- 5 STARS!!!
Terry says:
I just finished Beautyland by Marie-Helene Bertino; is my favorite book of the year so far.
Also for mystery lovers, the brand new Sarah Paretsky mystery, “Pay Dirt”, is on sale for Kindle. I’m surprised it wasn’t on today’s ebook deals.
Lori says:
I loved BeautyLand too!
Ann M. says:
Mine, too! I loved BeautyLand.
Lori says:
The Bear by Julia Phillips was fantastic! Anne I think you would really like it. I inhaled The God of the Woods (so good) and then saw Liz Moore interviewed at my local Barnes & Noble and that was a treat! I never would have thought I would pick up a book about Thomas Mann, but The Magician was excellent.
Anne – I have not heard of any of your recent reads! The Colm Toibin looks very interesting.
My recent reads include:
* Love of My Afterlife by Kirsty Greenwood (2 stars) – this was just not for me. The premise was good but this was too cutesy and predictable and the characters seemed like caricatures, and the open door romance is just not my taste…
* Where the Wind Leads by Vinh Chung (4 stars) -‘riveting and eye-opening memoir of a refugee family that flee Vietnam in the late 1970s and built a new life in Arkansas.
* The Husbands by Holly Gramazio (audiobook, 4 stars) – I loved this story with a unique premise, and although the story is a light easy read, it asks the bigger questions about family and relationships.
Happy Reading!
JanJ says:
Has anyone read The Funeral Ladies of Ellerie County by Claire Swinarski? First time reading this author and I couldn’t put it down. I never read book blurbs as I like to be surprised, so I just picked up the book based on the cover. This was an emotional read and I highly recommend the book.
KMS says:
I just finished it and enjoyed it quite a lot!
Ruth O says:
Yes! Read it earlier this year and really enjoyed it! Glad you liked it as well.
I’ve been on a lot of airplanes this month, giving me lots of time to read. Light, page-turner novels are my main draw this summer. I’ve listened to One Italian Summer (Rebecca Serle), Honey (Isabel Banta), The Mother-in-Law (Sally Hepworth) and Yellowface (R.F. Kuang). Also read The Paradise Problem (Christina Lauren) and Funny Story (Emily Henry), and I’m midway through Leave the World Behind (Rumaan Alam), which I’m determined to read before watching the Netflix movie! (I didn’t realize it was apocalyptic, though, which is not generally my favorite.) Also listening to Whiskey Tender (Deborah Taffa).
Melanie says:
I really enjoyed:
Beautyland by Marie-Helene Bertino – Adina is an alien who faxes observations about earth to Planet Cricket Rice. It sounds sci-fi but it’s really a poignant and funny coming of age story.
The Wide Wide Sea by Hampton Sides – Nonfiction about Captain Cook’s third voyage. Facinating!
The Coast Road by Alan Murrin – about a small town in the 1990s in Ireland. Atmospheric and melancholy.
I just finished Rachel Khong’s Real Americans, and I’m still developing my opinions on what I think about it.
I publish my reviews on Instagram @bookscatsandtreats
Martha says:
I finished reading Covenant of Water by Abraham Verghese. This was his best writing yet! Prior to reading that book, I read Table for Two by Amor Towles. I highly recommend both of these books.
Janet says:
It’s taking me a long time to get through The Starless Sea. It is good, but I can only read a few pages at a time for some reason. I hated The Night Circus, but wanted to give the author another chance. 🤷🏻♀️
Also read The Trespasser by Tana French and have a novel about Wallis Simpson to start if I ever finish Sea.
Love this post and the comments section as always, for great book recs! I am finishing up God of the Woods right now—sooo good and un-put-down-able. I’m also finishing up Sarah Bessey’s Field Notes for the Wilderness—will definitely be a favorite read of the year! Next up to finish: Beautyland—loving this unique premise, Into the Thin by Stephen Drew—a Camino pilgrimage memoir that is beautifully written, and Black Liturgies by Cole Arthur Riley. (I’ve been reading it slowly all year—most likely my favorite nonfiction read of the year!) I’m also re-reading the play, The Importance of Being Earnest by Oscar Wilde, as that is my next show I’ll be performing in. Also on the reading list are Somehow by Anne Lamott, Sandwich by Catherine Newman, Orbital by Samantha Harvey and Living Resistance by Kaitlin Curtice. I love summer reading!
Indiana Gigi says:
I absolutely loved reading Ann Leary’s autobiographical essay collection, “I’ve Tried Being Nice”. Her essays are just the kind of nonfiction I treasure (very Nora Ephron-ish). She talks about the changes she has experienced in her 50’s, her marriage problems, her struggle with alcoholism, and the craziness of being married to a famous person (her husband is actor Denis Leary). Currently, I am devouring Ed Zwick’s memoir, “Hits, Flops, and Other Illusions: My Fortysomething Years in Hollywood”. Zwick is the prolific writer/director/producer of critically acclaimed television shows “Thirtysomething”, and “My So-Called Life”, and movies such as “Glory”, Legends of the Fall”, and “Shakespeare in Love” just to name a few. Zwick is a fantastic storyteller and dishes on what it is like to work with actors such as Denzel Washington, Julia Roberts, Tom Cruise, Leonardo DiCaprio, and Brad Pitt. He does not hold back! He is honest about his struggle to be an ethical artist in a business that is only concerned with profit.
I just started the YA mystery series “Truly Devious” and I’m really enjoying it! As someone who likes mysteries but can’t get down with crazy thrillers this is the perfect balance.
kathy Duffy says:
Finished Olga Dies Dreaming and posted in the author book talk conversation area.
Currently reading The Comfort of Ghosts by jackqueline Winspear and racing through it. Finlay Donovan Kills It is next up.
One of my July highlights has been Monica Wood’s book, How To Read a Book. I first met this author through MMD when we read The One-In-A-Million Boy. To this day, it remains a personal favorite book for me. Monica’s new book is full of grace, kindness, and a lesson in forgiveness. In our crazy life, we have a lot to forgive. I would highly recommend it.
Only two books this month as I’ve also been reading through All Creatures Great and Small, which is pretty long! And summer has me slowing down with reading.
The Turtle House, Amanda Churchill | 4/5 ⭐️s
The Personal Librarian, Marie Benedict | 3/5 ⭐️s
I’ve just picked up Same As it Ever Was by Claire Lombardo, and I’m already hooked.
Thanks for visiting Joseph Beth my hometown bookstore. Great place!
Sarah says:
I really enjoyed this too —it was bittersweet and gut wrenching at times but so good!
Jennifer Geisler says:
I’m halfway through How To Walk Into a Room “The Art of Knowing When to Stay and When to Walk Away”by Emily Freeman and decided to purchase it so I can make notes. An important book for anyone facing a transition in their lives and in need of guidance on how to discern the right answer. Where was this book when I was struggling with whether or not to leave my church?
I so, so wanted to enjoy Sandwich, but instead, found myself disliking the main character so much that I could barely finish it. Her behavior towards her lovely husband and her son’s sick girlfriend was appalling.She drank too much, said too much, and then thought everyone should just forgive her if she apologized too much. Long Island by Tobin was absorbing and so thought-provoking!
Susan says:
Enter Ghost: best book I have read so far this year. So many rich layers of the personal, the political, and the literary. I listened to the audio book, which was as brilliantly read as the novel was written. It made me want to go back and read Hamlet again, then read Enter Ghost again to pick up on all the inter-relations between the two.
After a chaotic May (end of the school year), I got in much more reading in June which is what I want to happen, especially in the summer. With the variety of things going on over summer break, it’s nice to have reading as a constant in my days! Finished 5 books with one or the other of my boys (6 & 11) and read more nonfiction than usual in the summer due to library holds finally coming in!
I also loved How to Read A Book — one of my top books of the year so far. Another (I believe) Anne recommendation was April May June July. I enjoyed it, though it really goes deep into the Iraq war and I must admit to getting lost in some of those details. A fun audiobook listen was Abby Jimenez’s Just for the Summer. Very excited that Sandwich and Same As It Ever Was have come in at the library for me! 🙂
Sarah says:
I jusr finished The Briar Club by Kate Quinn. I am not sure why I didn’t realize she had a new book on the horizon so finding this was the best surprise ever ! O.M.G I can’t describe all the things I love about this book —the myriad of characters and their complicated , genuine personalities , the layers of female friendship , issues surrounding sexuality, homophobia ,female reproductive issues , misogyny, racism , coming of age stories and recipes from various cultures—and a wonderful story about American life . I loved it . Don’t miss this—Happy summer reading .
Hi Anne!! Right now I’m reading Americanah by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie. Someone discarded it in our mailroom. Whoever it is, they got rid of a couple of other classics as well. I also finally got my copy of James by Percival Everett which I heard about from Bill’s Books which comes on NBC on Sundays. He has some really good recommendations.
Denise says:
I read my Favorite book this year (so far): “The Vaster Wilds” by Lauren Groff. Read this book so fast, that when I finished it, turned back to page one, to reread the gorgeous language. I then immediately went to the library and checked out her prior book “Matrix”.
Ruth O says:
I read and did not enjoy Sandwich, there was way too much I just didn’t want to know. Loved the premise of the story but it just felt awful. Wound up skimming to see how it turned out, but almost DNF; kinda wish I had left it.
Listened to Yinka, Where is Your Huzband? and it was awesome, loved the narration!
Now I am into Miss Morgan’s Book Brigade, and enjoying that very much.
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Buckle Up!
It’s almost time for the Summer Reading Guide. Order now and plan to join us on May 15th for Unboxing—the best book party of the year!
50 comments
July’s round up includes a few romances perfect for summer and an unexpected book I absolutely loved! See my thoughts on all my recent reads here!
https://neverenoughnovels.com/2024/07/15/july-2024-mini-book-reviews/
In July’s BOOKBAG –
* a short + sweet bookish interview (in 8 pictures!)
* must-see ebook deals
* July’s literary time capsule
https://lindastoll.substack.com/p/porch-144-the-mid-summer-bookbag
Looks like you’ve had a lot of variety here lately! Here’s what I’ve been reading: https://readeatrepeat.net/2024/07/15/books-in-progress-july-2024/
I just finished A Fever in the Heartland about the rise (and fall) of the KKK In the Midwest in the early 1920’s. Fascinating and horrifying. One of the non-fiction books that has you turning the pages like it’s a novel.
I also just finished Swan Song which is everything an Elin Hilderbrand fan would want from her last Nantucket summer novel.
Pearce Oysters is definitely on my TBR.
How to Wash the Dishes – how intriguing about something we all have to do! Thanks, Anne.
I finally read The Women by Kristin Hannah! It was hard yet important and beautiful. Here are the other books I recommend for this month.
https://lisanotes.com/books-i-recommend-june-2024/
I definitely need to read How to Wash the Dishes. I read more than I planned this month https://myviewofthehoneypot.blogspot.com/2024/07/what-i-read-july.html
As a non-dishwasher owner (and homeschool mom of four—we eat EVERY meal at home!), How to Wash Dishes sounds right up my alley!
This month I’m reviewing quite a few light “summer reads” including a couple of rom-coms, some magical realism, and a thriller. I also have a beautiful historical novel, Middle Grade fantasy that my kids and I all loved, a couple of very surprising memoirs, and a genre mash-up that was one of the best books I’ve read this year.
https://kendranicole.net/quick-lit-july-2024/
I’ve had several light reading months due to very busy life months. This month had a few good but not great reads: https://cocoonofbooks.blogspot.com/2024/07/what-ive-been-reading-lately-quick-lit.html
The heat dome is improving my reading stats too. That’s about the only nice thing I can say about that!
Here’s my June reading:
http://www.allthebooksihaventread.com/blog-1/2024/7/12/show-us-your-books-july-2024
I’m currently on the All the Colors of the Dark bandwagon (on audio). I’m also reading Jesmyn Ward’s Let Us Descend, and Animal, Vegetable, Junk for my book club. Devil is Fine sounds intriguing, that may need to go on my TBR.
All Colors of the Dark is on the tip top of my TBR stack. Glad to see that you are liking it!
That is such a perfect description of Headshot! Thimbleful of weird! But kind of in the best way? I read it months ago and was just sort of meh but find myself thinking about it.
Two recent reads that I thought outstanding were Dark Ride by Lou Berney and Tall Oaks by Chris Whitaker
How the Light Gets In (Novel) by Joyce Maynard; The Leaving Season (memoir) by Kelly McMasters, and on audio Did Ye Hear That Mammy Died (memoir) by Seamus O’Reilly. I recommend them all!
We have been traveling in Southeast Asia for the past two weeks (greetings from Indonesia) and have had lots of time to read. My July reads have included Elin Hilderbrand’s “Swan Song” which was a great final book. Loved “Real Americans” by Rachel Khong, “Midnight Feast” by Lucy Foley. Was super excited to try Ovidia Yu’s, “Aunty Lee’s Delights: A Singaporean Mystery “ and it didn’t disappoint. So fun!
Your list is SO wildly varied! Always appreciate your suggestions.
My most recent read has been a game changer for me—> https://michelemorin.net/2024/07/10/holiness-in-the-here-and-now/
How refreshing that we can be an active participant in our own spiritual formation and follow hard after holiness while firmly embedded in 21st-century life.
Reading Middletide by Sarah Crouch and it is reminding me of Where The Crawdads Sing. I’ve just started it though.
I read We Used To Live Here by Marcus Kliewer and what started out interesting soon became two thumbs down.
I have stacks of TBR. My holds are being held hostage at the library after a small hurricane. Hoping they are open today.
I read a number of summer-ish reads, including two that made it on my best of the year so far list: https://www.mindjoggle.com/june-2024-book-reviews/
So…as our high temps keep on reaching towards 100* here in Maryland I felt like this was a good a time as any to tackle a tome! Ginger raved about this book last year and it has been high up on my TBR. I also watched the interview with Tina Kover (translation) and Anne Bogel. I finished it last night and it was a beautiful piece of story-telling. I’m so glad I read it and the characters will stay with me for a long time.
The Postcard by Anne Berest- 5 STARS!!!
I just finished Beautyland by Marie-Helene Bertino; is my favorite book of the year so far.
Also for mystery lovers, the brand new Sarah Paretsky mystery, “Pay Dirt”, is on sale for Kindle. I’m surprised it wasn’t on today’s ebook deals.
I loved BeautyLand too!
Mine, too! I loved BeautyLand.
The Bear by Julia Phillips was fantastic! Anne I think you would really like it. I inhaled The God of the Woods (so good) and then saw Liz Moore interviewed at my local Barnes & Noble and that was a treat! I never would have thought I would pick up a book about Thomas Mann, but The Magician was excellent.
Correction the title is Bear not The Bear
My summer reading is off to a very satisfying start! I love the longer days which give me the chance to sit outside in the afternoon sun after work to read – and I had some great books to enjoy.
https://avikinginla.com/2024/07/what-ive-been-reading-lately-june-2024/
Anne – I have not heard of any of your recent reads! The Colm Toibin looks very interesting.
My recent reads include:
* Love of My Afterlife by Kirsty Greenwood (2 stars) – this was just not for me. The premise was good but this was too cutesy and predictable and the characters seemed like caricatures, and the open door romance is just not my taste…
* Where the Wind Leads by Vinh Chung (4 stars) -‘riveting and eye-opening memoir of a refugee family that flee Vietnam in the late 1970s and built a new life in Arkansas.
* The Husbands by Holly Gramazio (audiobook, 4 stars) – I loved this story with a unique premise, and although the story is a light easy read, it asks the bigger questions about family and relationships.
Happy Reading!
Has anyone read The Funeral Ladies of Ellerie County by Claire Swinarski? First time reading this author and I couldn’t put it down. I never read book blurbs as I like to be surprised, so I just picked up the book based on the cover. This was an emotional read and I highly recommend the book.
I just finished it and enjoyed it quite a lot!
Yes! Read it earlier this year and really enjoyed it! Glad you liked it as well.
I’ve been on a lot of airplanes this month, giving me lots of time to read. Light, page-turner novels are my main draw this summer. I’ve listened to One Italian Summer (Rebecca Serle), Honey (Isabel Banta), The Mother-in-Law (Sally Hepworth) and Yellowface (R.F. Kuang). Also read The Paradise Problem (Christina Lauren) and Funny Story (Emily Henry), and I’m midway through Leave the World Behind (Rumaan Alam), which I’m determined to read before watching the Netflix movie! (I didn’t realize it was apocalyptic, though, which is not generally my favorite.) Also listening to Whiskey Tender (Deborah Taffa).
I really enjoyed:
Beautyland by Marie-Helene Bertino – Adina is an alien who faxes observations about earth to Planet Cricket Rice. It sounds sci-fi but it’s really a poignant and funny coming of age story.
The Wide Wide Sea by Hampton Sides – Nonfiction about Captain Cook’s third voyage. Facinating!
The Coast Road by Alan Murrin – about a small town in the 1990s in Ireland. Atmospheric and melancholy.
I just finished Rachel Khong’s Real Americans, and I’m still developing my opinions on what I think about it.
I publish my reviews on Instagram @bookscatsandtreats
I finished reading Covenant of Water by Abraham Verghese. This was his best writing yet! Prior to reading that book, I read Table for Two by Amor Towles. I highly recommend both of these books.
It’s taking me a long time to get through The Starless Sea. It is good, but I can only read a few pages at a time for some reason. I hated The Night Circus, but wanted to give the author another chance. 🤷🏻♀️
Also read The Trespasser by Tana French and have a novel about Wallis Simpson to start if I ever finish Sea.
Interesting recs this month, the TBR grows….
Love this post and the comments section as always, for great book recs! I am finishing up God of the Woods right now—sooo good and un-put-down-able. I’m also finishing up Sarah Bessey’s Field Notes for the Wilderness—will definitely be a favorite read of the year! Next up to finish: Beautyland—loving this unique premise, Into the Thin by Stephen Drew—a Camino pilgrimage memoir that is beautifully written, and Black Liturgies by Cole Arthur Riley. (I’ve been reading it slowly all year—most likely my favorite nonfiction read of the year!) I’m also re-reading the play, The Importance of Being Earnest by Oscar Wilde, as that is my next show I’ll be performing in. Also on the reading list are Somehow by Anne Lamott, Sandwich by Catherine Newman, Orbital by Samantha Harvey and Living Resistance by Kaitlin Curtice. I love summer reading!
I absolutely loved reading Ann Leary’s autobiographical essay collection, “I’ve Tried Being Nice”. Her essays are just the kind of nonfiction I treasure (very Nora Ephron-ish). She talks about the changes she has experienced in her 50’s, her marriage problems, her struggle with alcoholism, and the craziness of being married to a famous person (her husband is actor Denis Leary). Currently, I am devouring Ed Zwick’s memoir, “Hits, Flops, and Other Illusions: My Fortysomething Years in Hollywood”. Zwick is the prolific writer/director/producer of critically acclaimed television shows “Thirtysomething”, and “My So-Called Life”, and movies such as “Glory”, Legends of the Fall”, and “Shakespeare in Love” just to name a few. Zwick is a fantastic storyteller and dishes on what it is like to work with actors such as Denzel Washington, Julia Roberts, Tom Cruise, Leonardo DiCaprio, and Brad Pitt. He does not hold back! He is honest about his struggle to be an ethical artist in a business that is only concerned with profit.
I just started the YA mystery series “Truly Devious” and I’m really enjoying it! As someone who likes mysteries but can’t get down with crazy thrillers this is the perfect balance.
Finished Olga Dies Dreaming and posted in the author book talk conversation area.
Currently reading The Comfort of Ghosts by jackqueline Winspear and racing through it. Finlay Donovan Kills It is next up.
One of my July highlights has been Monica Wood’s book, How To Read a Book. I first met this author through MMD when we read The One-In-A-Million Boy. To this day, it remains a personal favorite book for me. Monica’s new book is full of grace, kindness, and a lesson in forgiveness. In our crazy life, we have a lot to forgive. I would highly recommend it.
Only two books this month as I’ve also been reading through All Creatures Great and Small, which is pretty long! And summer has me slowing down with reading.
The Turtle House, Amanda Churchill | 4/5 ⭐️s
The Personal Librarian, Marie Benedict | 3/5 ⭐️s
Check out our website for tiny reviews and story summaries:
https://theshoreystories.com
I’ve just picked up Same As it Ever Was by Claire Lombardo, and I’m already hooked.
Thanks for visiting Joseph Beth my hometown bookstore. Great place!
I really enjoyed this too —it was bittersweet and gut wrenching at times but so good!
I’m halfway through How To Walk Into a Room “The Art of Knowing When to Stay and When to Walk Away”by Emily Freeman and decided to purchase it so I can make notes. An important book for anyone facing a transition in their lives and in need of guidance on how to discern the right answer. Where was this book when I was struggling with whether or not to leave my church?
I so, so wanted to enjoy Sandwich, but instead, found myself disliking the main character so much that I could barely finish it. Her behavior towards her lovely husband and her son’s sick girlfriend was appalling.She drank too much, said too much, and then thought everyone should just forgive her if she apologized too much. Long Island by Tobin was absorbing and so thought-provoking!
Enter Ghost: best book I have read so far this year. So many rich layers of the personal, the political, and the literary. I listened to the audio book, which was as brilliantly read as the novel was written. It made me want to go back and read Hamlet again, then read Enter Ghost again to pick up on all the inter-relations between the two.
I need to read the book about washing dishes. Here’s some highlights from my reading year, so far.
🔗 https://shannanenjoyslife.com/2024/07/15/quick-lit-next-page-please-july-2024/
After a chaotic May (end of the school year), I got in much more reading in June which is what I want to happen, especially in the summer. With the variety of things going on over summer break, it’s nice to have reading as a constant in my days! Finished 5 books with one or the other of my boys (6 & 11) and read more nonfiction than usual in the summer due to library holds finally coming in!
June Reading Recap
I also loved How to Read A Book — one of my top books of the year so far. Another (I believe) Anne recommendation was April May June July. I enjoyed it, though it really goes deep into the Iraq war and I must admit to getting lost in some of those details. A fun audiobook listen was Abby Jimenez’s Just for the Summer. Very excited that Sandwich and Same As It Ever Was have come in at the library for me! 🙂
I jusr finished The Briar Club by Kate Quinn. I am not sure why I didn’t realize she had a new book on the horizon so finding this was the best surprise ever ! O.M.G I can’t describe all the things I love about this book —the myriad of characters and their complicated , genuine personalities , the layers of female friendship , issues surrounding sexuality, homophobia ,female reproductive issues , misogyny, racism , coming of age stories and recipes from various cultures—and a wonderful story about American life . I loved it . Don’t miss this—Happy summer reading .
Hi Anne!! Right now I’m reading Americanah by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie. Someone discarded it in our mailroom. Whoever it is, they got rid of a couple of other classics as well. I also finally got my copy of James by Percival Everett which I heard about from Bill’s Books which comes on NBC on Sundays. He has some really good recommendations.
I read my Favorite book this year (so far): “The Vaster Wilds” by Lauren Groff. Read this book so fast, that when I finished it, turned back to page one, to reread the gorgeous language. I then immediately went to the library and checked out her prior book “Matrix”.
I read and did not enjoy Sandwich, there was way too much I just didn’t want to know. Loved the premise of the story but it just felt awful. Wound up skimming to see how it turned out, but almost DNF; kinda wish I had left it.
Listened to Yinka, Where is Your Huzband? and it was awesome, loved the narration!
Now I am into Miss Morgan’s Book Brigade, and enjoying that very much.
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