Since I’ve been back from the beach, I’ve read five really engaging, wonderful reads that I would recommend…
The Names by Florence Knapp
The Names was a really wonderful, thought-provoking, moving book, told creatively and beautifully. Cora lives with her husband Gordon, daughter Maia, and new baby boy. At the beginning of the story, Cora goes to register the birth of her son, and Gordon expects her to name the baby after him, a long-standing tradition in his family. The story then imagines three possible futures in which Cora names their baby something different. It rotates between the three names, telling three alternate stories, and how each name influences their lives. The book explores the impacts of domestic abuse, family ties and relationships, and hope and healing. It was a fascinating, powerful read.
Spectacular Things by Beck Dorey-Stein
I really enjoyed Spectacular Things. It’s about the Lowe sisters, Mia and Cricket, who grow up with their single mother Liz – once a promising soccer star. Now, Cricket is the one who seems destined for soccer goalkeeping greatness, while Mia has assumed the role of a second parent from a young age. As the girls grow up, Mia navigates Cricket’s promise and ambitions among their own life goals and needs. The story explores their lives, girlhood, sisterhood, careers, love, and sacrifice. It was a beautiful, sweeping story.
The Most by Jessica Anthony
The Most was a short and quick, intriguing read. Kathleen, a former tennis champion, is now a housewife in Delaware living at an apartment complex with her husband Virgil and two boys. One unseasonably warm Sunday in November 1957, Kathleen decides to stay home and swim at their complex’s pool while her family heads to church. When they return home, Kathleen insists on staying in the pool. As the present action stays within this one day, we also see glimpses into Kathleen’s and Virgil’s pasts, their marriage, and their secrets. It was a very interesting read.
The Road to Tender Hearts by Annie Hartnett
I loved this hilarious, charming, quirky, read full of lovable characters and dark humor. I really enjoyed Annie Hartnett’s Unlikely Animals a few summers ago and was excited to pick up this one. In The Road to Tender Hearts, PJ Halliday lives alone at 63 in a small Massachusetts town after the death of his eldest daughter and subsequent divorce. When he discovers that his high school crush Michelle Cobb, who lives in a retirement community in Arizona, is single again, he plans a road trip across America. But before he can leave, a tragic event in his small town leads to his unexpectedly becoming the new guardian of his great-niece and great-nephew. He decides to take the kids on his road trip along with his adult daughter Sophie, who is trying to find her way in her twenties, and a nursing home therapy cat named Pancakes, who eerily predicts the death of residents and follows PJ home. The adventure they have is so funny and heartwarming, as PJ tries to figure out how to be a dad again as well as take new chances and live his life. I highly recommend this read to anyone.
Under the Stars by Beatriz Williams
I always love reading Beatriz Williams. Under the Stars was an intriguing read told from the perspective of three women. In November 1846, Providence Dare boards the luxury steamship Atlantic, trying to outrun her current situation — she worked in the home of the famous painter Henry Irving, who mysteriously died one night, and now the detective is on her tail. She unfortunately finds herself trapped with the man, all while a storm threatens their safety. In present-day New England, chef Audrey Fisher is stuck with her famous actress mother, Meredith Fisher, on Winthrop Island while her mother attempts to stay sober and save her career. When Audrey begins to work in her estranged father Mike’s restaurant, she meets the handsome Sedge Peabody, which begins a new business dealing and potential romance. One evening, Audrey discovers an old wooden chest, in which there are a collection of hidden paintings by a famous artist portraying a mysterious woman. I loved seeing how these women’s stories converge and the mysteries unravel. It was a fascinating read.
P.S. More book thoughts.
