Well hello there! I have decided to revive my Summer "Beach Bag" Reading list for 2021. By revive I mean continue the annual tradition of creating a list of books I suggest for packing in your beach bag. Two weeks ago I made the decision to shelve my list for this year and officially retire from sharing summer book choices for adults. Apparently this decision was not supported by some of my friends who kindly insisted I get the list out, pronto.
So the list is back and I am sharing it with friends and anyone else who happens upon my little list of recommended books. I have added books to the list that I have read this year or plan to read this summer. In keeping with tradition, I have consulted some of my trusted reading peeps for suggestions to make a list that will offer lots of choices. Full disclosure, I am just an avid reader who likes to pack dynamic books in my beach bag. I simply suggest books to read to escape the seriousness of life. The books on my Summer Reading List may not change the world or make a lasting impact, but hopefully they encourage us to abandon our phones and lose ourselves in a good book.
Happy Summer, everyone.
Cherylann
Float Plan by Trish Doller
Talk about a summer read, this is the book I could literally not put down. Pack extra sunscreen for this sizzler! This book is described as an "unforgettable and romantic adult debut about setting sail, starting over, and finding yourself." My travel obsessed friend Darlene Amoroso devoured this one and I predict she has made a detailed log of all the islands in this book and will definitely make her way to an island or two while we are all shoveling snow!
Haven Point by Virginia Hume
This is my good friend Jen Sullivan's book pick. She is a book-seller extraordinaire at our local bookstore (Barrington Books) and always selects a fabulous pick for the summer list. Jen says, "This is my favorite summer read. A compelling multi-generational family saga! A story of three strong women and their summers spent at their family home on the Rocky Coast of Maine."
The Guest List by Lucy Foley
I loved playing Clue as a child and this books reminds me of the game. I think it was Mrs. Peacock in the library with the revolver!! This book is about the wedding of the year on an island off the coast of Ireland when someone turns up dead! You could take an old Agatha Christie book out of the library, play Clue or instead read this intriguing "whodunit" book.
The Midnight Library by Matt Haig
My good friend and work-wife Terrie Kovolyan is planning to kick off summer by reading this gem that has been named an Amazon Best Book of the Year. The New York Times describes this book as, "Absorbing...exactly what's wanted in these troubled and troubling times." I am glad Terrie suggested this book because I forgot how much I enjoyed reading it over the winter. Then again, a quirky, little book that takes place in a life library...hmm I wonder why I liked it so much????
The Last Thing He Told Me by Laura Dave
This book is described as the ultimate page-turner and is my daughter Petra's book pick (Of course, she doesn't know I am posting this, but the chance of her reading her mom's blog is pretty slim!) She packed this book in her bag for a ferry ride and I plan to read it the minute she is finished. Entertainment Weekly declares, "This is a mystery about a woman who thinks she found the love of her life-until he disappears." I was even hooked with the book trailer: https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/The-Last-Thing-He-Told-Me/Laura-Dave/9781501171345
The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett
This book was recommended by avid reader Carolyn McGarry. Whenever I see Carolyn in town we talk books and I am always impressed by her daily reading schedule. Yes, she reads everyday! Named a BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR by The New York Times, this stunning new novel is about twin sisters who ultimately choose to live in two different worlds, one black and one white.
I never make a summer book list for adults without consulting book expert Kate Lentz(RI Center for the Book Director) for a pick or two. I usually give her barely any notice for when I need her picks, but she always come through. This year she has chosen The House of Cerulean Sea as one of her choices and says, "This is a sweet and contemporary fantasy... and once you're into it, you realize it's the book you didn't know you needed."
Kate has also picked Firekeeper's Daughter by Angeline Boulley as one her summer book picks. Kate shared, " I just read this book in three days and loved it... YA crime thriller about a Native American teen who becomes an informant to uncover corruption in her community. This is a total page turner, loved the writing and learned a lot!"
The Invisible Husband of Frick Island by Colleen Oakley
Hmm...another book about an island in the summer...Lately I seem to be obsessed with island stories. Anyway, I read about this one on a fun book Instagram page and I can't wait to read this book that I think will be "fricking" good. Oh yeah, I said it! Who doesn't want to pack a book in their bag that has been named a Southern Living best beach read??? I better pack some sweet tea in my cooler for reading this charming story!
Happy Reading, my friends! I hope you find a book to enjoy this summer.
CB
