What To Read This Summer
Summer reading is something I truly look forward to. Throughout the year I keep a running list of recommendations from co-workers, friends and family and try to read as many as possible during the season. Below are some suggestions to add to your summer reading pile!
Into The Blue
by Emma Brodie
Massachusetts resident Emma Brodie’s second book, Into The Blue, follows the tumultuous relationship of AJ and Noah – two aspiring performers living in a small town in MA. The main characters are AJ, who dreams of being a writer for SNL and Noah, who hails from a famous acting family. They form a deep bond for their shared love of performing until Noah suddenly disappears unexpectedly, leaving AJ devasted. The story picks up years later in NY when she reunites with Noah on a TV project and moves back and forth over time. A life-changing secret that Noah has been carrying has shaped his decisions with his relationship with AJ, who has developed into a confident creator from an insecure teen. A touching, sometimes frustrating, love story.
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June Baby
by Shannon Garvey
New England native Shannon Garvey sets her debut novel on the beaches of Block Island. The story centers on Ruth, who has lost her mother as a teenager and has a father who is unable to cope, so he ships her off to live with a renowned photographer Diana on the island for the summer. Ruth ends up spending the next ten summers there, where she falls in love with Diana’s nephew, Charlie. Struggling to find herself, her world is once again uprooted when someone she depended on has left her, secrets are revealed and Ruth must decide what to believe about her past and what the future may hold. There were times I felt Ruth was unlikeable but was curious how the story would unfold. I really enjoyed the Block Island setting, and can’t wait to revisit!
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The Lioness of Boston
by Emily Franklin
The Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum is one of my favorite places to visit in Boston, so when Emily Franklin’s historical novel came out a few years ago, I added to my BTR list. I finally got around to checking it out at the BPL and was engrossed from the get-go. Isabella was a fiercely independent and eccentric woman who was often misunderstood in Back Bay social circles. The book reimagines Isabella’s unconventional life from her upbringing, marriage and love of the art world. The story is a tribute to Isabella, who unknowingly at the time, reshaped Boston’s cultural scene. If you have an opportunity to visit the museum, please do!
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Yesteryear
by Caro Claire Burke
Caro Claire Burke’s novel opens with Natalie, a successful tradwife influencer living on a ranch in rural Idaho, living her seemingly online idyllic life. Then everything changes. She wakes up in a house that looks almost like hers, surrounded by a family that feels almost familiar, only to discover that the year “1855” has been carved into the doorframe. Yesteryear is told through a nonlinear structure filled with flashbacks. It can feel a little unsteady at first, but as the story unfolds, the purpose behind that approach becomes clear. Natalie is a difficult protagonist to like, yet she is impossible to stop reading about. The mystery hooked me from the start, and by the final stretch I genuinely had no idea how the author could bring everything together. Somehow, the ending not only worked—it was very satisfying – you’ll see!