With one week left of summer, I’m sharing my final three reads of this summer 2024. Though these may be set in the warmer months, they of course can be read anytime and anywhere. Happy reading!
The God of the Woods by Liz Moore
The God of the Woods is the best book I’ve read in 2024 thus far. This absolutely captivating story and compelling mystery takes place in the Adirondacks at Camp Emerson, a summer camp owned by the Van Laar family and run by the Hewitts. In the summer of 1975, thirteen-year-old Barbara Van Laar has gone missing. Fourteen years prior, her older brother Bear also disappeared and was never found. The story is told from the perspective of people involved with the camp, town, and investigation, as we learn about the search for Barbara in the moments and days following her disappearance, as well as past events surrounding Bear’s. It is a rich, multilayered, intriguing book that I could not stop reading. I highly recommend it.
Lies and Weddings by Kevin Kwan
Lies and Weddings is a cute, fun read about the Earl and Countess of Greshamsbury and their three children, Rufus, Beatrice, and Augie, as well as their neighbors Dr. Thomas Tong and his daughter Dr. Eden Tong. The Gresham family fortune has been depleted, and Rufus’s melodramatic mother Arabella wishes for him to marry rich, though he’s always been in love with Eden. The book begins at Augie’s totally over-the-top wedding in Hawaii, and the characters go to many other places across the globe. There’s a lot going on, mostly taking place amid opulent weddings and events where the fashion and decor are described in great detail. It started out enjoyable, but all the extravagant descriptions became a little tiresome. Plus, jumping around to many different characters and situations, the book just felt way too long. Although I felt tempted to stop reading, I made it through to the sweet and satisfying ending.
A Novel Love Story by Ashley Poston
A Novel Love Story is a sweet read about Eileen, who is on her way to a week of reading and quiet in the Catskills when she gets lost and stumbles into the fictional town of Eloraton, the setting of her favorite romance series. Eileen’s car has broken down, and so she spends time in the places and with the characters she has read about, including a cute bookstore owner named Anders whom she assumes must be the focus of the late author’s unfinished final novel. The book was a bit slow and tedious at times, and I was a little frustrated with Eileen for not realizing something that I found pretty obvious…but I continued to read anyway, and the ending was lovely and made it worth it. I would recommend this read if you love bookstores, whimsical stories, and have ever dreamed of living inside your favorite novel.
P.S. More books to read.
