My Summer Stack
Long before I became an author, I loved choosing books for a week at the beach. I remember savoring my family’s annual pilgrimage to the bookstore. The ritual of running my fingers down thick spines. Inhaling book jackets. Leafing through crisp pages. Without fail, I would choose more books than I could read, and my parents’ generous effort to indulge that impulse would set a joyful tone for our annual beach vacation.
I’ve done my best to keep the tradition alive as an adult. It’s a hard job, but somebody has to do it! This year, I’m especially proud of my stack of books. They’re all extremely different, yet each one brought unexpected richness to my reading life.
The Last Love Note by Emma Grey gave me pause for its hard subject matter, but I’m so incredibly grateful to have read this book. The Last Love Note performs a magical feat: it’s the rare, heartfelt story that blends raw emotion with crackling humor and inspiring resilience. You will root for Kate through every vulnerable moment, as she works to rebuild her life as a single mother following her husband’s death. Grey’s graceful, interwoven timelines are a powerful reminder that Kate can keep every life she’s lived with her, that she doesn’t have to choose between her past and her present, and that love is the only part of life that lasts. I can’t recommend The Last Love Note highly enough, and I’m eagerly anticipating Grey’s upcoming novel, Start at the End.
Bright Little Girls by Lorna Hollifield kept me on the edge of my seat (er, beach chair) from the jump. While I’d expected a thriller - and Hollifield certainly delivered on that front, I hadn’t expected the many layers to this ambitious novel. As the story leaps between timelines, following Eliane and a mysterious killer through sumptuous Southern settlings, it also delves into the ethical issues that arise from making art. Eliane’s powerful connection with Zelda Fitzgerald shows the heartache baked into consuming art, too. A deep, messy friendship is the heartbeat of this powerful story of loss and redemption. This book packs such a punch, and I stayed up too late to unravel its mysteries.
South Beach Scandal by Cindy Quayle is the third book in Quayle’s addictive Claire O’Keefe cozy mystery series. South Beach Scandal offers all the twists of an Agatha Christie novel set against a sizzling beachside backdrop. As an experienced scuba diver, Quayle weaves her own knowledge into this book, and Quayle’s insight into South Beach’s culture and nightlife transform the book’s vibrant setting into its own character. After she finds herself connected to the victim by a moment of bad luck, Claire works to solve the mystery of the murder that’s binding her to South Beach. South Beach Scandal is the ultimate escapist read. Even with a murderer at large in South Beach, Quayle’s joyfully rendered characters infuse the plotline with warmth and compassion. Lucky for us, Quayle has a fourth book in her series, Lies Are Better At The Lake, coming soon!
Salty by Kate Myers is an absolute joy to read. This irresistible novel hits so many notes so very well. Salty is comprised of an ensemble cast of memorable characters, all connected through their tenuous (and inherently loaded) relationships as yacht owners and employees. Captain Denise and her sister, Helen, work on the yacht of a wealthy, corrupt family. Their own dysfunction mirrors the broken relationships flaunted in front of them, but their fierce loyalty to each other and to their beloved landscape offers hope. Together, Denise and Helen work together to save a world that is rapidly disappearing. At once a searing social satire and a love letter to the fragility of our natural world, Salty reminds us that the greatest antidote to insatiable greed is gratitude for what already exists - particularly for what can be shared, rather than claimed.
I do believe that books find you when you need them, and I’m grateful that these four distinct reads found me for my week at the beach. However, now it’s time to pivot back to reality. I’m in the throes of back to school chaos, juggling my kiddos’ activities, and embracing autumn’s more orderly rhythm. Best of all, I’m gliding into cozy reading season - and in dire need of new recommendations. If you’re inclined to share the best book you’ve read recently, I’d be so appreciative!
Also, as promised, I have to share a story that reveals author life is not without hiccups. If you look below, you’ll see what happened when I tried to take a picture of my book stack - and immediately fell backward into my nephew’s intricate army trench. The sand explosion I created is my version of an action shot, and I like to think I offered the beach some entertainment that day. The people who laughed hardest were under my umbrella, as expected. I’ve decided I love them anyway.
And you thought reading was a sedentary activity.
