I know summer isn't quite over yet, but let's talk about those books we read sweating on a beach, sitting in the shade by a lake, sipping iced tea in a café or, if you were anything like me, curling up in a chair with the air conditioner on high.
I read a lot of really good books this summer, more than I can list here, so I'm focusing on the ones I read between May and mid-August that I gave "5 stars" to over on Goodreads.
These four fall into my go-to genre - mystery/suspense:
THE INVITED by Jennifer McMahon - Jennifer McMahon is one of those authors where I don't even read the description of the book, I just buy it.
SOME CHOOSE DARKNESS by Charlie Donlea - If you haven't read Charlie Donlea yet, you are in for such a treat. You won't go wrong with any of his novels.
DEAR WIFE by Kimberly Belle - You might think you know what's going on . . . .
THE TURN OF THE KEY by Ruth Ware - Old-school gothic horror set in a new "smart" house, this story not only has scenes so creepy, they made me shiver (and it was not the air conditioning) but also twists that left me gasping for breath.
This next batch is a mix of middle grade and young adult:
HEROINE by Mindy McGinnis - Mindy writes across genres, but this is my absolute favorite of her contemporary YA.
AUGUST ISLE by Ali Standish - I cannot even begin to tell you how much I love this book.
WE WALKED THE SKY – by Lisa Fiedler - This historical fiction novel reminds me in the best way of Sara Gruen's WATER FOR ELEPHANTS. I'm also a sucker for a dual storyline, especially when both – past and present - are told from the points of view of female tightrope walkers.
I actually read these next two earlier this year in ARC form, but since they came out this summer, I'm including them here with my reviews from Goodreads.
AFTER THE END by Clare Mackintosh - "This story will shred your heart but will also stitch it back together. The process won't be pretty, and it won't look or feel the same, but it will be whole again in its own way. This is a story of so many things - marriage, family, choices, grief, hope - but at its core, it is a love story, through and through." (I received an ARC through a giveaway on Goodreads.)
NEVER HAVE I EVER by Joshilyn Jackson - "Joshilyn Jackson takes her much-loved Southern fiction voice and her women's fiction genre and edges them with a sharp darkness that is absolutely thrilling. This is not a flip-the-pages-as-fast-as-you-can suspense novel. This is a sit-inside-the-story tale where the twists and turns are slow and subtle yet leave you shaken by their power. As a long time fan of Ms. Jackson's, I am thrilled to see her take on - and thrive! - in this new genre. I can't wait to see what she comes up with next." (I received an ARC through a giveaway on BookBrowse.)
*****
Have you read any of these? Plan to? Did you read anything this summer that blew you away? Are we Friends over on Goodreads? (If not, let's fix that! Click on the Find Me On Goodreads link in the sidebar.)
