The Book 
of Magic 
By Alice Hoffman
If you can get past the first few chapters which review the well known characters made famous by Hoffman’s earlier books in the series (including the film Practical Magic), and you like magical realism this book is an enjoyable read with an excellent mystery tied in.  Will the Owens Family be able to remove the curse of love once and for all?

The Night She 
Disappeared
By Lisa Jewell
Set in a quaint English town this mystery will keep you engaged and guessing from the beginning. 19 year old Tallulah goes missing leaving her young son in her mother Kim’s care.  Everyone thinks she has run off or is dead but her mother knows this can't be the case.  Then a newcomer to town who aslo happens to be a mystery writer starts snooping around following the story and discovers a web of connections.

The Golden Girl 
By Elin Hilderbrand
If you enjoy a light mystery you will love The Golden Girl.  The story centers on a famous author and her family on Nantucket.  After Vivi is hit by a car the local police chief investigates the murder while Vivi watches from the great beyond as her three young adult children struggle with life. The story is unique and engaging.

The Last Thing He Told Me
by Laura Dave
When her newish husband Owen goes missing, Hannah must put together the mystery of where he went and why he left her alone with his teenage daughter.  As Hannah discovers a hidden past, she also forges a relationship with Baily that changes both their lives forever. The story is suspenseful and engaging. *This was a Reese Witherspoon Book Club pick.

Rock Paper 
Scissors
By Alice Feeney
Adam and Amelia, a married couple whose marriage is on the rocks, travel to a converted chapel at Blackwater Loch in the Scottish Highlands. There is the spooky, abandoned place they are staying, the stranger in the cottage, the snowstorm that traps them there, the psychological tug of war between husband and wife, and years of tension about to burst. Plus the amazing plot twists will completely blindside you.  This is one of the best mysteries of the year.

A Slow Fire 
Burning
By Paula Hawkins
When a young man is found gruesomely murdered in a London houseboat, it triggers questions about three women who knew him. Laura is the troubled one-night-stand last seen in the victim’s home. Carla is his grief-stricken aunt, already mourning the recent death of yet another family member. And Miriam is the nosy neighbor clearly keeping secrets from the police. Three women with separate connections to the victim. Three women who are – for different reasons – simmering with resentment. Expertly written and suspenseful, you will be engrossed in the lives of these odd characters and their motivations.

 Malibu Rising
by Taylor Jenkins Reed
Malibu: August, 1983. It’s the day of Nina Riva’s annual end-of-summer party, and anticipation is at a fever pitch. Everyone wants to be around the famous Rivas: Nina, the talented surfer and supermodel; brothers Jay and Hud, one a championship surfer, the other a renowned photographer; and their adored baby sister, Kit. Together, the siblings are a source of fascination in Malibu and the world over—especially as the offspring of the legendary singer, Mick Riva. If you want to be transported to the Malibu of another era, and learn the backstory of an iconic family, this book is for you. It is unlike any other book as it shifts from varying perspectives and keeps your interest from beginning to end. 


​The Night Swim
By Megan Goldin
After the first season of her true crime podcast became an overnight sensation and set an innocent man free, Rachel Krall is now a household name―and the last hope for thousands of people seeking justice. But she’s used to being recognized for her voice, not her face. Which makes it all the more unsettling when she finds a note on her car windshield, addressed to her, begging for help. As Rachel delves into the mystery of what happened to Jenny twenty years ago, she is also covering a modern rape trial, and a small  town’s inability to find justice. If you love true crime podcasts, this is your next read.


The Push
By Ashley Audrain
Motherhood is not as simple as one would think in this psychological drama. Blythe Connor is determined that she will be the warm, comforting mother to her new baby Violet that she herself never had. But in the thick of motherhood’s exhausting early days, Blythe becomes convinced that something is wrong with her daughter–she doesn’t behave like most children do. Or is it all in Blythe’s head? Her husband, Fox, says she’s imagining things. The more Fox dismisses her fears, the more Blythe begins to question her own sanity, and the more we begin to question what Blythe is telling us about her life as well.  Then Sam is born and everything changes. The Push will have you asking yourself, what would you do?

​Ficton

American Dirt 
by Jeanine Cummins
Forced to flee, Lydia and eight-year-old Luca soon find themselves miles and worlds away from their comfortable middle-class existence. Instantly transformed into migrants, Lydia and Luca ride la bestia—trains that make their way north toward the United States.  *Gripping , eye-opening story of survival and life for Mexicans fleeing their country for America.

Little Fires Everywhere 
by Celeste Ng
Little Fires Everywhere explores the weight of secrets, the nature of art and identity, and the ferocious pull of motherhood--and the danger of believing that following the rules can avert disaster.  
*An interesting exploration of an American family circa 1990s, and exploration of class disparity in late twentieth century.

In an Instant 
by Suzanne Redfearn
Life is over in an instant for sixteen-year-old Finn Miller when a devastating car accident tumbles her and ten others over the side of a mountain. Suspended between worlds, she watches helplessly as those she loves struggle to survive. *Poignant but devastating. Explores humanity, family and connections and gives a spot-on portrayal of special needs character within a family.  This one WILL make you cry.

Daisy Jones & The Six ✴✴✴✴
by Taylor Jenkins Reid
The story of sex, drugs, rock and roll in 1970's America from the perspective of band members looking back.  *Some thought it was the best book of 2019 but for me t was just okay - parts dragged and I never truly loved the characters.

The Most Fun We Ever Had ✴✴✴✴
by Claire Lombardo
As the novel moves through the tumultuous year following the arrival of Jonah Bendt—given up by one of the daughters of a close-knit family in a closed adoption fifteen years before—we are shown the rich and varied tapestry of the Sorensons' past: years marred by adolescence, infidelity, and resentment, but also the transcendent moments of joy that make everything else worthwhile


Light Reading

Winter in Paradise 
by Elin Hilderbrand
Irene Steele’s idyllic life-house, husband, family-is shattered when she is woken up by a late-night phone call. Her beloved husband has been found dead, but before Irene can process this tragic news, she must confront the perplexing details of her husband’s death. He was found on St. John island, a tropical paradise far removed from their suburban life. Leaving the cold winter behind, Irene flies down to the beautiful Caribbean beaches of St. John. *If you want to escape reality - this is a good one.

Summer of 69 
Elin Hilderbrand
It's 1969, and for the Levin family, the times they are a-changing. Spending the summer at their grandmother's historic home in downtown Nantucket, each character is defined by this moment in time.  Great storytelling keeps you interested  If you like historical fiction but during a more recent time in America this one is enjoyable.

The High Season
by Judy Blundell
The ultimate summer (or quarantine) read, this novel of money, class, and family set in the Hamptons.  *Quirky and fun but not shallow. 

Thriller/ Suspence

The Hunting Party 
by Lucy Foley 
The Hunting Party is an entertaining mystery about a group of seven friends who spend New Year's Eve in the Scottish Highlands at a hunting lodge. By the end, one winds up dead changing all of their lives forever. *Good plot twists.

Death of Mrs. Westaway
by Ruth Ware
On a day that begins like any other, Hal receives a mysterious letter bequeathing her a substantial inheritance. She realizes very quickly that the letter was sent to the wrong personbut also that the cold-reading skills shes honed as a tarot card reader might help her claim the money. *Masterful storytelling, Ruth Ware does not disappoint. If you love mystery this one is awesome.



Sharp Objects 
by Gillian Flynn
Reporter Camille Preaker returns to her tiny hometown to cover the murders of two preteen girls.  *This darkly suspenseful story is addictive and the writing is awesome.  (But not an uplifting read at all).

Something in the Water ✴✴✴✴
by Catherine Steadman
The lives of newlyweds honeymooning in Bora Bora change dramatically when while scuba diving in the crystal blue sea, they find something in the water.  Could the life of your dreams be the stuff of nighmares? Should they speak out or protect their secret. After all, if no one else knows, who would be hurt? 

Non-Fiction

Maybe You Should Talk to Someone ✴✴✴✴
By Lori Gottlieb
As Gottlieb explores the inner chambers of her patients' lives -- a self-absorbed Hollywood producer, a young newlywed diagnosed with a terminal illness, a senior citizen threatening to end her life on her birthday if nothing gets better, and a twenty-something who can't stop hooking up with the wrong guys -- she finds that the questions they are struggling with are the very ones she is examinging in her own life.  *If you want to go deep in self-analysis in this exploration of what makes us human,  this is it.

Memoir

Wild Game: My Mother, 
Her Lover, and Me 
by Adrienne Brodeur
Wild Game is a brilliant, timeless memoir about how the people close to us can break our hearts simply because they have access to them, and the lies we tell in order to justify the choices we make. *The real-life characters come alive and the author's insights and writing are powerful.

Inheritance: A Memoir of 
Genealogy, Paternity, and Love
by Dani Shapiro
Inheritance is a book about secrets—secrets within families, kept out of shame or self-protectiveness; secrets we keep from one another in the name of love. *Thoughtful exploration about what it means to question your identity in mid-life after a DNA search.

The Beach by Alex Garland
The Khao San Road, Bangkok -- first stop for the hordes of rootless young Westerners traveling in Southeast Asia. On Richard's first night there, in a low-budget guest house, a fellow traveler slashes his wrists, bequeathing to Richard a meticulously drawn map to "the Beach."
    Spellbinding and hallucinogenic, The Beach by Alex Garland -- both a national bestseller and his debut -- is a highly accomplished and suspenseful novel that fixates on a generation in their twenties, who, burdened with the legacy of the preceding generation and saturated by popular culture, long for an unruined landscape, but find it difficult to experience the world firsthand.


Four Seasons in Rome
by Anthony Doerr
    From the author of the acclaimed Pulitzer Prize-winning #1 New York Times bestseller All the Light We Cannot See. Four Seasons in Rome describes Doerr's varied adventures in one of the most enchanting cities in the world. He reads Pliny, Dante, and Keats -- the chroniclers of Rome who came before him—and visits the piazzas, temples, and ancient cisterns they describe. He attends the vigil of a dying Pope John Paul II and takes his twins to the Pantheon in December to wait for snow to fall through the oculus. He and his family are embraced by the butchers, grocers, and bakers of the neighborhood, whose clamor of stories and idiosyncratic child-rearing advice is as compelling as the city itself.
    This intimate and revelatory book is a celebration of Rome, a wondrous look at new parenthood, and a fascinating story of a writer's craft—the process by which he transforms what he sees and experiences into sentences.


The Bucket List: 1000 Adventures Big & Small
by Kath Stathers  (Editor)
We all have things we’d like to do—one day—but work, family, school, money, and responsibilities get in the way. This invaluable guide to fun, fantastic, and life-affirming activities features an eclectic range of ideas such as self-improvement, sports-related endeavors, natural wonders, cultural experiences, culinary delights, and more. From glassblowing in the Czech Republic to swimming with dolphins in New Zealand,


Vagabonding by Rolf Potts
    There’s nothing like vagabonding: taking time off from your normal life—from six weeks to four months to two years—to discover and experience the world on your own terms. In this one-of-a-kind handbook, veteran travel writer Rolf Potts explains how anyone armed with an independent spirit can achieve the dream of extended overseas travel. Now completely revised and updated, Vagabonding is an accessible and inspiring guide to financing your travel time; determining your destination; adjusting to life on the road;  working and volunteering overseas;  handling travel adversity; re-assimilating back into ordinary life


Honeymoon With
My Brother by Franz Wizner
    This is the true story of Franz Wizner, a man who thought he had it all- a high profile career and the fiancée of his dreams- when suddenly, his life turned upside down. Just days before they were to be married, his fiancée called off the wedding. Luckily, his large support network of family and friends wouldn't let him succumb to his misery. They decided Franz should have a wedding and a honeymoon anyway- there just wouldn't be a bride at the ceremony, and Franz' travel companion would be his brother, Kurt.
    The brothers decided to leave their old lives behind them. They quit their jobs, sold all their possessions, and traveled around the world, visiting fifty-three countries for the next two years. In Honeymoon With My Brother, Franz recounts this remarkable journey, during which he turned his heartbreak into an opportunity to learn about himself, the world, and the brother he hardly knew.

by Jennifer Yarbrough

​During summer the weather gets warmer, the days get longer, and things take on a slower and more relaxed feel.  It just makes sense that this is the season of leisurely reading.  Here are a few great titles to check out and one that looks like a promising Summertime page turner. 

Talking As Fast As I Can: From Gilmore Girls to Gilmore Girls (And Everything In Between)  
Lauren Graham

Where and When to Read:  Perfect for any summer activities, the pool, the beach, the airport.  A fun, quick, and easy read!

What to Expect:  …when you’re expecting.  Ha!  Ha!  Had to put that in there for those of you that watched the Gilmore Girl’s Sequel and were all, “WHAT??!?”  Back to the subject at hand, Talking As Fast As I Can, expect to feel like you have scored yourself an awesome coffee date with Lauren Graham and she is sitting next to you sharing fun, interesting, sometimes awkward bits of her life, her career and herself with you.  She starts pretty much at the beginning of her acting career (hotdog suit, anyone?) and takes us through the first run of the Gilmore Girls and then the series Parenthood and back again full circle to the much anticipated and much loved Gilmore Girls Sequel that aired last Fall.  The last portion of the book dealing with the Sequel contains entries from her journal as the show was shot.  It’s fun and sappy and sentimental all at the same time to view the taping through her eyes.  And you know what else…she also lets us know how she feels about those last four lines. 

Favorite Quote: 
While the book is written in Lauren Graham’s comedic style, she effortlessly sprinkles bits of wisdom throughout.  Here is a favorite bit:

“I guess what I’m saying is let’s keep lifting each other up.  It’s not lost on me that two of the biggest opportunities I’ve had to break to the next level were given to me by successful women in positions of power.  If I’m ever in that position and you ask me “Who?”  I’ll do my best to say “You” too.  But in order to get there, you may have to break down the walls of whatever is holding you back first.  Ignore the doubt and just keep going, keep going, keep going.”

Only Love Today:  Reminders to Breathe More, Stress Less, and Choose Love by Rachel Macy Stafford
Where and When to Read:  This book is organized by Season—Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter.  Each season contains short vignettes that are sometimes poems and sometimes personal stories.  I like to start off each day by reading one of the short, but poignant entries and then contemplating the message throughout the day.

What to Expect:  Through her own personal stories, Rachel Macy Stafford, explores what it means to focus on simply choosing “Only Love” Today.  She shines the light on the things that are important, relationships, connections, and authenticity and kindly shows us how to let go of perfectionism and self-doubt.  One of the great things about this book is that it doesn’t have to be read from front to back, but can be read in any order—by topic or by “Season.”   I suggest starting with Summer and reading an entry a day.

Favorite Quote:

“The world might try to tell you that you don’t fit in.  I beg to differ; I think you are the missing piece.”

What I’m Reading Next:

Camino Island
by John Grisham

I am excited to read John Grisham’s latest which is set right here in Florida!  A 30something writer finds herself in the middle of a mystery involving the literary black market and a set of stolen F. Scott Fitzgerald manuscripts.

​Whether you are poolside or beachside, on vacation or at home after work, summer is the perfect time to grab a book and catch up on your reading!

A Dangerous Age
Kelly Killoren Bensimon

A comedy set in New York City about four friends—Lucy, Sarah, Billy, and Lotta, that are getting older and trying to deal with it amidst the youthful culture of the Big Apple.

 
Tumbling Turner Sisters
Juliette Fay

In this Historical novel, Follow the four Turner sisters as they tumble their way from town to town to help save their family.  What they find on their Vaudeville journey is love and heartbreak and a new America. 

 
A Low Country Summer Series
Mary Alice Monroe

These stories, set in the Charleston Lowcountry, of friendship, family, and all the ups and downs that go along with them will keep you busy at the beach all summer long.  Check out, The Summer Girls, The Summer Wind, The Summer’s End, and A Lowcountry Wedding.


Altered Carbon
Richard Morgan

This science fiction novel, set 500 years in the future, explores a world where the human mind has been digitized and humans don’t die, but have their souls “re-sleeved.”  Read it soon and be ahead of the crowd, Netflix has picked it up as a future series! 

Disclaimer
Renee Knight

In this suspense-thriller, a mysterious novel appears at main character, Catherine’s bedside.  The novel is intriguing, until she realizes that it’s actually about her and a secret she has been keeping.  The only other person privy to the secret is dead—so who wrote this and who sent it to her and why? 

 
Modern Romance
Aziz Ansari

This investigative book written by actor-comedian Aziz Ansari delves into the world of modern romance.


The One & Only
Emily Giffin

When Thirty-three-year-old Shea Rigsby’s life in small town America is upended she must venture out on her own and discover the one and only thing that makes life worth living.

Beautiful Ruins
Jess Walter

Beautiful Ruins begins in the 1960s and sweeps us through to the present, taking us across continents from Italy to Hollywood, introducing us to a bevvy of interesting characters, and exploring the hopes and dreams they have throughout their lives. 


Girls in White Dresses
Jennifer Close

Isabella, Mary, and Lauren are at the point in their lives where all of their friends are getting married and getting their lives together and they feel like they are falling apart.  What keeps them going?  Their friendship.  Enjoy this story of friendship.

 
Swallow the Ocean
Laura M. Flynn

This memoir explores Flynn’s childhood with a mother that was, at first, considered “Bohemian,” but later diagnosed as schizophrenic.  Follow Laura and her sisters as they cope with their mother’s illness and parent’s divorce. 


Catastrophic Happiness:  
Finding Joy in Childhood’s Messy Years
Catherine Newman

This parenting memoir, from Real Simple journalist, Catherine Newman explores the ages 4-14 with her son and daughter, childhood, as she says.  Parents will laugh out loud at her stories and relate to her feelings of grief, happiness and the bittersweet joy of parenthood.


Different Seasons
Stephen King

Finally pick up this 1982 collection of four novellas, all written for a different seasons, Rita Hayworth and the Shawshank Redemption (Hope Springs Eternal), Apt Pupil (Summer of Corruption), The Body (Fall From Innocence), and The Breathing Method (A Winter’s Tale).  If they sound familiar, it’s because 3 of the 4 have been made into films, check out the stories behind these films this summer! 
 
Forever
Pete Hammill

Cormac O’Connor travels from Ireland to New York City in the 1740s and then finds himself stuck on Manhattan Island Forever.  Literally.  Watch New York City change and grow over the next four centuries, as Cormac stays the same.  Something catastrophic happens in the early years of the 21st Century that shakes his world and makes him reconsider living forever.

Florida Books

The Minorcan Yoke and The 
Minorcan Quarter
Nancy Pellicer Dyer

These two books tell the history of local St. Augustine Minorcans.  The Minorcan Yoke traces their journey from Minorca, Spain to New Smyrna, Florida in 1768  as Indentured Servants and then their march to freedom in St. Augustine nine years later. The Minorcan Quarter picks up when they arrive in St. Augustine in 1777 and explores the challenges they faced and the obstacles that they overcame.

Turnbull’s Slaves:  A Minorcan Story
Donald H. Sullivan

This is a story of love and adventure set against the backdrop of the St. Augustine Minorcans’ trip from Minorcan, Spain to Florida as Indentured Servants in the 1700s.  This historical novel follows fifteen-year-old Miguel, as he navigates loss and love during a tumultuous time in our history.

 A Land Remembered
Patrick D. Smith

The history of Florida since 1858 as seen through the eyes of the MacIvey family. Learn about the swamplands and inhabitants (human and animal) and their interactions in one of the wildest states in the nation—our state! 

Lay That Trumpet in Our Hands
Susan Carol McCarthy

Set in the citrus groves of Central Florida in the 1950s, this story, told from the perspective of a teen-aged girl, shows us that even though there is hate in this world, it can be overcome and that we can all be everyday heroes and play our part. ​

by Jennifer Yarbrough

Few pleasures are better having a great book to take on vacation where you can read for hours on end.  We have you covered with our list of interesting, fun books. Happy reading!

Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet by Jamie Ford
A discovery at the Panama Hotel of the belongings of Japanese Americans sent to internment camps in the 1940s sets Henry Lee on a journey through his past to his present.

The Harry Bosch Series by James Connelly
Follow Detective Harry Bosch as he solves homicides for the LAPD, including the homicide of his own mother.

Killing Monica by Candace Bushnell
This highly anticipated new novel from the author of Sex and the City follows Pandy “PJ” Wallis, a writer trying to reinvent herself after her marriage falls apart and the boathouse of her family home burns down.

To Have and Have Not by  Ernest Hemingway
Harry Morgan is trying to support his wife and two kids during the Great Depression with just his strength and his boat, come onboard as he ferries all sorts of cargo from Key West to Cuba and back.

Redeeming Love by Francine Rivers
Set in 1850s California this is the story of Angel, a prostitute, who meets Michael Hosea, a man after God’s heart.  As their love story evolves she grows scared and runs until she realizes that the only thing that can truly change her is to run after God’s heart herself.

A Land Remembered by Patrick Smith
The history of Florida since 1858 as seen through the eyes of the MacIvey family. Learn about the swamplands and inhabitants (human and animal) and their interactions in one of the wildest states in the nation—our state!

The Highlander Series by Diana Gabaldon
Time travel with Claire Randall as she is whisked from her 1946-postwar second honeymoon in Scotland with her husband to the Scottish Highlands of 1743 where she is set to marry James Fraser, a Scottish warrior.

Kenzie and Gennaro Series  by Dennis Lahane
Patrick Kenzie and Angela Gennaro are private investigators in Boston that find themselves in all kinds of sticky situations.  These books definitely deliver action with that signature South Boston style, in other words, graphic language and violence.

In the Unlikely Event by Judy Blume
In her latest novel, out June 2015, Blume explores life, tragedy and how we cope and move on.  Set in 1950s America, a young woman’s experiece is revisited and processed .

Einstein’s Dreams by Alan Lightman
A novel of Einstein’s dreams as he is grappling with the theory of relativity; they take a look at many possible worlds.


The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins
A young woman becomes entwined in a murder involving people she has been watching from the commuter train she takes each day from the suburbs to London.  As she helps peice together the mystery she must face  truths about her own life.   A great thriller wth twists and turns  -  you will not be able to put it down.  

Primates of Park Avenue by Wednesday Martin
Do you ever wonder what motherhood in the wealthy Upper East Side of Manhattan would be like?  In this “mommy memoir,” you can find out!  Wednesday Martin compares her life as a mom in the UES in anthropological terms, comparing her quest for the perfect Birkin Bag to that of a chimp asserting power in the wild.

Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn 
On October 3, the movie “Gone Girl” is set to be released. Your mission: to buy, download or by any means necessary, procure a copy of the novel by Gillian Flynn. Published in 2012, the book became a #1 New York Times bestseller and an instant book club favorite. Once the movie version is released, your window of opportunity will be shut forever.  Water coolers, playgrounds and cocktail hours alike will be buzzing with the details.  The beauty of this novel lies in the stunning twists and plot turns you will never see coming. On the eve if her fifth wedding anniversary, Amy Dunne goes missing. The facade of her seemingly perfect life begins to unravel, and you are taken on the psychological ride of a lifetime. Run, don’t walk, to buy your copy. Hide the title with a slipcover, because anyone who has read this book will be dying to ask you, “Have you gotten to the part where...?” 
Review by Ann Hayes

What Alice Forgot by Liane Moriarty 
A 39 year old super mom knocks herself out at her Thursday spin class and wakes up thinking she is 29 and pregnant with her first child.  Alice can’t remember the last 10 years of her life and learns she has 3 children and is in the middle of an awful divorce and custody battle with the man she remembers as the love of her life.   What happened in the last 10 years?  The man she is in love with is yelling at her, her sister doesn’t even like her, she goes to the gym and she hates the gym, she has a moms group and a best friend who no one will talk about.  How can she remember and put her life back together?  If our life is made up of memories what happens when they are gone?  When you wake up to the life you never wanted how do you get the life you loved back?  
Review By Katie Morrison

Heart of Palm by Laura Lee Smith
Local author, Laura Lee Smith’s Heart of Palm is a saga of a native North Florida Family, the Bravo Family, set in St. Augustine.  “Some call them Florida crackers, some call them rednecks. They love to run their trucks in the dunes, their powerboats along the Intercostal or its tributaries; they support the UF Gators and the local Lil Champ. Sometimes they’re in the local jail or ER and sometimes passed out at the fish camp.” – Vermeer Fan.  Through its unique characters like the matriarch Arla, the story allows readers an insightful glimpse into the complexity of life and culture here.

A Hundred Summers 
by Beatriz Williams
Lily Dane’s family has summered in Seaview. Rhode Island for generations.  Set in the 1930’s the story centers around Lily, her former best friend Budgie and Nick, the man they both want for their own.  If you crave a tale about family secrets, love triangles and the tangled webs we weave – and let’s not forget seaside views, this one is for you!

Beautiful Ruins
By Jess Walter
Jess Walter’s Beautiful Ruins is set in coastal Italy in the 1950s and present day,  beautifully weaving together a modern day search with an epic event in the life of Italian villager.  When a young beautiful actress named Dee Moray arrives to stay at The Hotel Adequate View, everything changes. As the book progresses we find out what happened to these characters over time and how their lives and the lives of so many others were changed as well.  Publisher describes it as “an irresistible romp through Italy in the Technicolor era, when a starlet hooked up with the dashingly drunken Richard Burton and charmed the townspeople in a tiny seaside village”.

The Yonahlossee Riding Camp for Girls
by Anton DiSclafani  
This coming of age novel set in the 1930s, takes us from the North Florida to North Carolina, as a young girl names Thea Atwell is sent away from home to the Yonahlossee Riding Camp for Girls in North Carolina.  The setting is beautiful and conjure up images of what it was like to live in this time and place.  But the story of why Thea has been exiled is what draws you in and keeps you hooked.  Thea’s actions are sometimes disturbing as her shadow side comes through in this story about dark secrets and youth, and the consequences of our actions.

The Fault in Our Stars
by John Green
Honestly, the book is great though sad.  It conveys the hardship of two families, each with teenagers battling cancer.  The romance between the two  teenagers is the heart of the story and even through the most difficult of life’s challenges they have the greatest of times, reminding us that life is short and infinitely precious.  Even if you have seen the movie - the book is worth reading!
Review by Josh Rosenbaum