Summer Reading
Housework has falling by the wayside. Getting out of the house has become a need-to-do activity. And quilting has slowed drastically. But even with a back, hips, legs, knees, and feet that give me pain, I'm able to keep up a fair amount of reading. Here is my summer reading list.
Fear of Winter by S.C. Sterling: Personally, I have no fear of winter. In fact, it's my second favorite season after autumn. And I really enjoyed this book. Plot: On a frigid December night, Megan Floyd vanishes from the mountain town of Fraser, Colorado. The extensive search provides no answers and as attention of her disappearance fades, the case goes cold. Her father, Tom Floyd, is forced to confront his worst fear that his daughter will never be found, and soon his life and marriage begin to disintegrate around him.
The Seven Year Slip by Ashley Poston: Combines romance and time travel. Sometimes, the worst day of your life happens, and you have to figure out how to live after it.So Clementine forms a plan to keep her heart safe. Her aunt always told her that you needed at least one big dream to keep going. And for the last year, Clementine's plan has gone off without a hitch. Mostly. The love she wants is hard because she doesn’t want to get too close to anyone—she isn’t sure her heart can take it. And then she finds a strange man standing in the kitchen of her late aunt’s apartment. Good story.
Something in the Water by Catherine Steadman: Erin and Mark embark on a dream honeymoon to the tropical island of Bora Bora, where they enjoy the sun, the sand, and each other. Then, while scuba diving in the crystal blue sea, they find something in the water. Suddenly the newlyweds must make a dangerous choice: to speak out or to protect their secret. After all, if no one else knows, who would be hurt? Their decision will trigger a devastating chain of events. This books reminds me a little of A Simple Plan by Scott Smith, although not quite as gruesome. It's a Reese Witherspoon Book Club selection. Good read.
Lisey's Story by Stephen King: Lisey lost her husband Scott, a novelist, after a twenty-five year marriage of profound and sometimes frightening intimacy. Early in their relationship, Lisey knew there was a place Scott went that both terrified and healed him, could eat him alive or give him the ideas he needed in order to live. Now it’s Lisey’s turn to face Scott’s demons, to go to that terrifying place known as Boo’ya Moon. What begins as a widow’s effort to sort through the papers of her celebrated husband becomes a nearly fatal journey into the darkness he inhabited. I apparently bought this book years ago but never read it. When I came across it on my book shelf, I knew it was time. I'm glad I finally read it. One of King's best.
With a Vengeance by Riley Sager: In 1942, six people destroyed Anna Matheson’s family. Twelve years later, she’s ready for retribution. Under false pretenses, Anna has lured those responsible for her family’s downfall onto a luxury train from Philadelphia to Chicago, an overnight journey of thirteen hours. Her goal? Confront the people who’ve wronged her, get them to confess their crimes, and deliver them into the hands of authorities waiting at the end of the line. Justice will at last be served. But Anna’s plan is quickly derailed by the murder of one of the passengers. A little Agatha Christie-ish, a bit Hitchcock-ish. Another winner from Riley Sager. I like this book a lot.
The Women by Kristin Hannah: Twenty-year-old nursing student Frances "Frankie" McGrath was raised in the sun-drenched, idyllic world of Southern California and sheltered by her conservative parents.She has always prided herself on doing the right thing. But in 1965, the world is changing, and she suddenly dares to imagine a different future for herself besides that expected of her or marriage and children. When her brother ships out to serve in Vietnam, she joins the Army Nurse Corps and follows his path. One of Kristin Hannah's best.
All Our Yesterdays by Joel H. Morris: 11th Century Scotland. Suspicious of what he has been told (or hasn't been told) about his father’s death, a boy watches his mother fall in love with and marry the enigmatic thane Macbeth. Now a woman of stature, Lady Macbeth confronts a world of masculine power and secures the protection of her family. But the coronation of King Duncan and the political maneuvering of her cousin Macduff set her on a tragic course, one where her own success might mean embracing the very curse that haunts her and risking the child she loves. This reimagining of one of Shakespeare's greatest plays (in novel form) is riveting.
The Wedding People by Alison Espach: When Phoebe Stone arrives at the luxury Cornwall Inn in Newport, Rhode Island alone, she’s immediately mistaken by everyone in the lobby for one of the wedding people. But separated and divorced from her husband and suffering debilitating depression, Phoebe has come here for a sadly different reason. Meanwhile, the bride has accounted for every detail and every possible disaster the weekend might yield except for Phoebe and Phoebe's plan—which makes it that much more surprising when the two women can’t stop confiding in each other. A good summer read about healing, trust, friendship, and accepting who you are.
Lost Boy Found by Kirsten Alexander: In the summer of 1913 a little boy's mysterious disappearance from the family's lake house makes front-page news in their home town of Opelousas, Louisiana. John Henry and Mary Davenport are wealthy and influential, and will do anything to find their son. For two years, the Davenports search across the South, offer increasingly large rewards and struggle not to give in to despair. Then, at the moment when all hope seems lost, the boy is found in the company of a tramp, or is he? Based on the true story of the disappearance of Bobby Dunbar. The ending of the original book is somewhat jarring. But the Kindle edition has the ending that the author wrote after publication after so many complaints. If you read this book and don't have access to the Kindle edition, let me know. The new ending is short, and I have a copy of it.
Something I Keep Upstairs by J.D. Barker: In the sleepy coastal town of New Castle, New Hampshire, seventeen-year-old Billy Hasler's life is about to take a terrifying turn. When his best friend David Spivey inherits a mysterious house on a nearby island, it seems like the perfect place to spend their final summer before heading off to college. No parents. No police. No responsibilities--just, as they will learn, an ancient evil that has haunted generations. What promised to be an innocent summer adventure for Billy, Spivey and their friends quickly descends into a nightmare. A lover of haunted-house stories, I loved this book. It reminds me very much of Stephen King's talent for terror. But if you don't do scary, stay away from this one.
Typepad is getting more and more difficult about posting photos. This post has taken me, so far, close to two hours. I might have to start posting without photos. The spacing is also squirrelly, but I'm tired and can deal with it anymore.
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On 08/28/2025, Barbara Anne said ...
Interesting book list and I always love book lists! Thanks!
Sorry you're dealing with such pain and hope there is medical relief for the cause on those pains.
My problem is lupus fatigue and think I'm in a flare, meaning I have low grade fevers, aches, and zero energy so even finishing the scrappy Single Irish Chain borders is daunting.
Wishing you all good things.
Hugs!
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