Summer Heat, Cool Reads

We’re presently mired in a heat wave (a corn sweat as well?), and it makes focusing, planning or doing much of *anything* a chore. Listless days, indeed! But still, the reading continues on, so here’s what I’ve been reading lately…

–Marissa

By Any Other Name by Jodi Picoult was a must-read since I’m such a fan of her writing, her twists, her storytelling, but… she can also be hit and miss with me, and this was kind of a miss (I know, I know, I’m sorry!). This is a weaving of present-day Melina, a struggling playwright who is a descendant of Emilia, a poet and supposed author of many of Shakespeare’s works in the 1580s. The majority of the book takes place in Emilia’s time and while I can see and appreciate all of Picoult’s research… at over 500 pages and long (long) chapters that didn’t didn’t crackle and moved at a snail’s pace, my attention kept fading and the chapters just draaaagged. So many characters were barely developed, and there was no twist, just… it was fine. This was fine… but I wanted so much more.

The Long Way Back by Nicole Baart was an audiobook listen that kept me engaged throughout! Mother and daughter Charlie and Eva are outdoorsy Instagram influencers, but when Eva goes missing, everyone suspects Charlie, though she knows something more afoul is at play… now she just has to convince the local police and the FBI to look elsewhere. I really connected with the first half of the novel, but boy howdy, the second half takes a *turn* and gets more thriller-y and sideways – still enjoyable, just not expected. An easy listen!

What Happened to Nina? by Dervla McTiernan was an audiobook listen that I flew through. Nina and Simon have been sweethearts since high school, but after a weekend together hiking, only Simon comes home. This kicks off an investigation into what happened to Nina and is full of the requisite twists and turns! I liked all the points of view packed into this one – Simon’s parents, Nina’s parents, Nina’s sister, police officers – it really kept the perspectives shifting until the end! Big shout out also to the narrators… their fantastic work really elevated this one!

The Joy Document by Jennifer McGaha… a woman of *ahem* similar age to me, has written 50 essays (some short, some longer) on finding joy at this time of life – from running in the North Carolina woods with her dogs to doing cartwheels to running errands. Her writing style is easy, and I loved dipping in and out of this collection and reading one at a time. I really enjoyed this joyful collection of observations on midlife!

River Sing Me Home by Eleanor Shearer was a book discussion selection, and we had a lot to talk about! This fiction novel chronicles Rachel, a slave in Barbados (as slavery is ending, but not really) as she runs away to find her five children who were sold. She travels from Barbados to British Guiana to Trinidad and uncovers the story of each children, and search for her own freedom and that of her nearest and dearest. This is hard, harrowing, hopeful at times, and a good glimpse into a tumultous time period in our history, from the perspective of the Caribbean, rather than the US.

House of Glass by Sarah Pekkanen starts with Rose Barclay, who hasn’t spoken since her nanny fell to her death – but was it an accident or murder, and does the impending divorce of her parents have anything to do with it? Stella is a “best interest attorney”, who must determine what’s best for Rose moving forward with custody, while trying to unravel… what really happened in this house that looks amazing on the outside, but is hiding secrets on the inside. This was a page-turner for sure, with some great red herrings and psychological drama. I flew through the pages – Pekkanan is usually a solid winner, no matter what she writes!

The Mistletoe Mystery by Nita Prose is just a charming little Christmas novel, an in-betweener in the lovely little series about Molly the Maid. Recommended if you also enjoy the series (and if you’ve not read it, check it out)!

I also read A History of the World in Twelve Shipwrecks by David Gibbins (yawn), and There’s Nothing Wrong with Her by Kate Weinberg (not my cuppa tea).