Quick Lit July 2019 Archives

The New Girl

by Daniel Silva

This is my second-ever Daniel Silva book. I love a good spy thriller—they're perfect poolside reading—and this one has much to recommend itself: tight pacing, an intriguing setting (in the international art world), even characters exchanging F. Scott Fitzgerald lines over dinner. I particularly appreciated how Silva took his inspiration from all-too-real international events: this time, the 2018 murder of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi, and the involvement of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. In this book, Silva asks <em>what if?</em>, imagining how events might play out in the Middle East, while throwing in a heavy dose of espionage, because this is, after all, a a Silva novel. Don't miss the author's note at the end.

The Lager Queen of Minnesota

by J. Ryan Stradal

A novel of family, Midwestern values, hard work, fate and the secrets of making a world-class beer.

Iron Lake (Cork O’Connor Book 1)

by William Kent Krueger

My husband Will is hooked on this series—and I've enjoyed reading the first few books, too. After losing his job and separating from his family in a marital dispute, Cork O’Connor can barely crawl out from under his guilt. Cork is eager to win back his family—winter in Minnesota lake country is hard enough without bitterness and loss. But when a local judge is murdered, and a friend asks Cork to find her missing son, he takes on the investigation. Town officials try to stop him at every turn, but Cork is determined to find the truth, even if that means exposing a dark secret. Part Irish, part Anishinaabe, Cork straddles two worlds and calls on friends who owe him favors in order to solve the case.

If You Want to Make God Laugh

by Bianca Marais

From the publisher: "From the author of the beloved Hum If You Don't Know the Words comes a rich, unforgettable story of three unique women in post-Apartheid South Africa who are brought together in their darkest time and discover the ways that love can transcend the strictest of boundaries. In a squatter camp on the outskirts of Johannesburg, seventeen-year-old Zodwa lives in desperate poverty, under the shadowy threat of a civil war and a growing AIDS epidemic. Eight months pregnant, Zodwa carefully guards secrets that jeopardize her life. Across the country, wealthy socialite Ruth appears to have everything her heart desires, but it's what she can't have that leads to her breakdown. When these personal crises send both middle-aged women back to their rural hometown to lick their wounds, the discovery of an abandoned newborn baby upends everything, challenging their lifelong beliefs about race, motherhood, and the power of the past."

Things You Save in a Fire

by Katherine Center

One of the only female firefighters in her firehouse, Cassie always knows how to deal with an emergency. At least, when it comes to others. When her estranged mother asks her to move back to Boston to help take care of her, Cassie thrown into the deep end. Her new firehouse doesn't exactly welcome her with open arms, with the exception of the handsome rookie. But Cassie never dates fellow firefighters and taking this risk could jeopardize her career. She's about to learn what courage really looks like and how to love against all odds.

Light from Distant Stars

by Shawn Smucker

When Cohen Marah steps over his father's body in the basement embalming room of the family's funeral home, he has no idea that he is stepping into a labyrinth of memory. As the last one to see his father, Cohen is the primary suspect.

Quick Lit July 2019

The New Girl

The Lager Queen of Minnesota

Iron Lake (Cork O’Connor Book 1)

If You Want to Make God Laugh

Things You Save in a Fire

Light from Distant Stars

a gateway

to reliable joy this summer

Buckle Up!

summer reading starts May 16th