Summer Reading

 

First of all, I want to thank everyone from the bottom of my heart for welcoming me back.  I answered almost everyone on the comment page.  I then realized that my own comments were coming up as Anonymous.  I brought in my top tech expert, the Mister, who saved the day.

I was originally going to post a Friday Files today, but so many of you asked for my book recommendations.   I did it quickly, so please forgive the more-than-usual typos.

I also included the dress links that many of you have asked for, as well as a couple of other dresses that you may like.

 

We took the gang out to lunch on Labor Day.  You asked for more Lucy pics.  Your wish is my command.

Darlin ' Will is an expert when it comes to babies.  He's got eight nieces and nephews.

You asked for it...you got it!

Here are the dress links you requested.

J Crew Factory

I liked this one so much that I ordered it in pink, as well.

Dress by Etsy

Baby by #1 and Adorable Jonathon

Etsy

Etsy

I wore this on Labor Day, and my #1 asked for the link.

That's the biggest compliment I could receive! 

This dress is full-length, but I think they can make it in a shorter length, as well.

This summer is the first time that I have purchased clothes on Etsy.  Here's some advice when ordering.  

If you are small-chested like me, order a smaller size. I carry most of my weight in my middle area, so these fuller dresses are good for me.  They make fabulous all-you-can-eat brunch dresses.

The wait for a few of these dresses is between 6-8 weeks but well worth it. Many sites offer free shipping. They are very well made and the fabrics are gorgeous. The best part is they are very reasonable.

I worked with Faherty last year, and this is one of the dresses I chose. I change out cardigans.

This dress is Tuckernuck, but rumor has it that there is a knockoff on Amazon.

Duffield Lane

This is out of stock.

 

Duffield Lane

Excuse bad hair day moment on the little one.

Out of stock also.

And now for my book reviews.

Amazon

I'm a big fan of Joyce Maynard. This story is about a woman who has had a difficult childhood.  She takes refuge in a tiny village in South America at a crumbling hotel. What made this a 5-star read are the multifaceted, lovable characters and creative storyline. 

Amazon

Dara and Austin, a beautiful, engaged couple are madly in love and the center that drives this story. They celebrate their engagement with Dara's charming family. Soon after, Austin receives some devasting news and shares it with Dara. She then cancels the wedding and sets off for California to lick her wounds with dear friends.  The family is at a loss as to why the wedding was canceled. The characters are well-drawn, and I was sorry to say goodbye to them as I finished the last page.  This is the story of true love and forgiveness.  Frances Mayes is one of my favorite authors who never disappoints me.

Amazon

This book is written by Dominick Dunne's son, Griffin, an actor, writer, and producer. Griffin grew up among Hollywood's elite and has the entertaining stories to prove it. I enjoyed his tales surrounding his family and his close relationship with Carrie Fisher. It also covers his sister's murder and its aftermath. I listened to the audio read by the author, and I enjoyed every minute of it.

Amazon

The title of this story is significant not only because it is the name of the town on Cape Cod but also because it represents the state of the main character's existence. This book centers around Rocky and her quirky, adorable family.  Rocky's family vacations at the same cottage every year for the past twenty years.  This book is sentimental as well as uproariously funny.  I took a half-star off the rating because the book was too short. I was not ready to say goodbye to Rocky and her crew.

I listened to this one, and the narration was outstanding.

Amazon

 Katherine Center never misses a beat. She has a way of creating likable, believable, perfectly flawed characters that pull at my heartstrings. Emma has been through a lot, yet she insists on seeing the best in people. She is teamed up to write a romcom with a famous, serious curmudgeon of a writer.  I felt their chemistry at their first meeting. And the ending... don't get me going. I loved every word of the broken pieces coming together. I finished the last page with a smile and some happy tears.  I enjoyed this book so much that it has been my go-to hostess/birthday gift.

Amazon

Mimi is a single thirtysomething school teacher.  No prince  charming on the horizon until Ren arrives.  He is hired as the new drama teacher.  He is divorced with two daughters and falls madly in love with Mimi.  All is well until his ex-wife is in a devastating car crash. The author is new to me and I will definitely read more books by Maddie Dawson. 

Amazon

Spoiler alert:  I have read every book Peter Swanson wrote, and he has yet to disappoint.  Martha marries Alan, a man she doesn't know very well.  He does quite a bit of traveling.  Martha discovers a smear of blood on Alan's collar and becomes suspicious.  She puts the pieces together and suspects that he is a serial killer.  As with all of Peter Swanson's books, there is never a dull moment. I was on the edge of my seat and couldn't put it down.

Amazon

This is a fantastic thriller that I could not stop listening to. A girl goes away with her high school boyfriend to his wealthy family's second home in Vermont. The boy returns alone. He tells her parents that he broke up with the daughter and that she took off by herself. Does she ever show up?  I could tell you, but then I'd have to kill you.

Amazon

A woman walks up and down the aisles of a commercial passenger airplane, pointing at people and telling them when and how they are going to die. Thank you, Liane Moriarty, for adding one more item to my Fear of Flying list. I did not expect to love this book as much as I did. The characters were multi-dimensional and likable. I was rooting for every one of them. The ending ties everything together and makes sense. As with all of Moriarty's books, it moved quickly and was well written. 

Amazon

What a treat! A young woman is released from prison after serving her time for killing a woman in an accident while under the influence. This is the story of how she rebuilds her life, which begins as a member of a prison book club. After her release, she begins working for a bird scientist and falls in love with the boss as well as the birds. The characters in this story warmed my heart, especially a parrot named Ollie. 

Move over Six-thirty and Marcellus, Ollie's coming to town. 

Amazon

A woman checks into a small inn.  Her mission - to commit suicide. Meanwhile, a wedding has taken over the entire inn. The woman meets the flighty bride in an elevator.  The bride is taken aback by hearing that the woman has the best room at the inn. The woman tells her that she is there for one reason - to end her life.  Later, just as the woman is about to take care of business, the bride enters the room like a windstorm.  She tells the woman everything that is going on at the wedding. Before we know it, the woman ditches her mission of taking her life and assumes a new one as the Matron of Honor.  There is an even bigger surprise at the end, which I will keep to myself.  Take it from me; it's a good one. I loved this book - it was so fun and a refreshing Summertime read!  The narration was outstanding.

Amazon

 I loved the well-drawn characters and the intriguing premise. A psychiatrist is left to clean up the mess that her dead husband left by killing a mother and daughter. The shrink becomes obsessed with the widower left behind.  This novel had me guessing throughout the pages, and the twists and turns gave me whiplash. I'm counting the minutes until Keeland's next page-turner.

Amazon

Ethan returns to his parents' home after years of being away. His parents have passed on, and all that's left are bitter memories. When he was a boy, Ethan camped out with his best friend in the backyard. The following day, his friend was gone, never to be found. Ethan decides to find out what happened that night, but the neighbors hesitate to cooperate.

Amazon

This is the story of Celine and Tate. Celine is notified by authorities that her beloved husband was killed in a car accident. They asked her to come down to HQ to identify him. When she does, she realizes that this is not her husband. She then delves into the husband's past, and this story gets wilder with every clue. The story has several twists and turns, and it kept me guessing. A "mother of a twist" pops up at the end that I never saw coming. The narration was well done.

Amazon

Fasten your seatbelts...TJ Newman's latest book, Worst Case Scenario, is a nail-biter.  This time, the story revolves around a commercial passenger plane that crashes into a nuclear plant. Newman has a unique talent for explaining a way-over-my-head topic in a simpler, interesting way.  I took off one star because I felt the characters were a bit flat, and too much time was spent on the technical aspect.

Amazon

Jack owns a diner that has been in his family for three generations. Everybody knows everybody and all their business in this small town.  Jack has a heart of gold but strikes out when it comes to the romance department.  A rep from a large corporation approached him about selling the diner. Should he sell and start fresh?  I always love Joella's books.  They feel like a warm blanket on a cold night.

Amazon

I am a big fan of Kaira Rouda's books.  It made me so happy to see that she brought back Paul from Best Day Ever.  When the story opens, we find my favorite narcissistic, controlling sociopath, Paul, has come into quite a bit of money.  His recent elderly companion left him the moolah, and he hopes to make a name for himself in Hollywood as a producer. Paul meets his next victim, future wife, at his companion's funeral.  Her name is Cecelia, and she is a lot younger than  Paul.  No shocker there.  Paul spends an inordinate amount of time trying to sugarcoat his past while attempting to control his new, curious young wife.  I loved the writing, as well as Paul's wry humor.  The narration was top-notch. 

Amazon

Spoiler alert: I read a book about the Kennedy family at least twice a year; this was my second one for this year. "Jackie" is not a biography but a scintillating historical fiction novel. It opens with Jackie's first meeting with her first husband. The story is beautifully written. Although I knew most of the circumstances of her life, I was still drawn in by the author's talent and words. I highly recommend this novel.

Amazon

We listened to this during our frequent trips to Dallas.  I told the Mister this book has given me one more thing to be grateful for.  I am glad that I didn't marry a Kennedy.

Amazon

What can I say?  I'm an overachiever - 3 Kennedy books in one Summer. This won the Best Cover Award.

Amazon

Amelia and Ross move into an exclusive neighborhood filled with lies, deceit, and unconventional lifestyles.  Let the games begin!  The newbies discover in time the reason their house came on the market.  They increasingly become suspicious of hidden agendas that they need to uncover. 

Amazon

One of my favorite storylines is about rich people with big problems. Add a slice of politics to the mix, making a perfect cocktail. Clara and Teddy lost their parents in a tragic accident. As you can imagine, they have experienced significant trauma. Teddy is married to Clara's best childhood friend and a reluctant campaigner. Clara has dealt with her trauma through drinking and drugs. This is not good for the political campaign, which constantly tries to avoid controversy. This was an entertaining read that moved quickly.

Amazon

Opening scene: a body is floating face down in the majestic infinity pool.  Cerys, the Tuscan bed and breakfast owner, makes the discovery. This is just one more item to add to her ever-growing to-do list.  Who is the murderer? There are suspects galore, but the evidence is sparse.  I humbly admit to changing my mind while pointing the finger at different suspects. This is a twisty thriller that will keep you guessing throughout the pages.

Amazon

 Harper and Ben are happy newlyweds on their honeymoon. Ben had been sick to his stomach, but they just thought it was something he ate. When he got home, he went to the doctor, and he was served a devastating diagnosis. After much thought and his health worsening, he tells Harper that he has one dying wish. He would like to find Harper a wonderful husband to take care of her when he's gone.  Cue the tears. Harper is less committed to his plan. Ben contacts a journalist to chronicle their story. I laughed, cried, smiled, and sighed throughout this beautiful story. It is a bittersweet tale of love, losses, and finding strength through second chances.

Unpopular Opinion

The following books received high ratings and great reviews from many bookstagrammers I respect.  However, they did not hit the mark for me.

Amazon

I was three-quarters of the way through this book when I asked myself if I cared what happened at the end.

The answer was no.

Amazon

Claire Lombardo's last book was one of my Top 10 books of the year.  I was so excited for this book.  Unfortunately, I felt the central character was a Stage-5 whiner, and I stuck with it but gave up with only 50 pages left.

Amazon

I listened to this one, which may have been a big part of the problem.  I couldn't stand the narrator.

Amazon

I think a lot of writers have resorted to a formula for the outline of their book. They just change the names and the circumstances.

Now it's your turn!

What book can you recommend to me?

I have one last order of business. I know that I just returned after three months, but I have to leave you again for two weeks. 

 

I know what you're thinking... that I am off to Europe to model for Vogue. 

That's incorrect.  It's Victoria's Secret. 

 I'll be checking in on Instagram, posting pretty pics that I can take no credit for.

au revoir!