I hope that all is well in your world. We are ending our long streak of rainy days with sunshine today. Pickleball is on the agenda. Speaking of which... I went to a fun happy hour last night over at my fellow pickler's house. They may all be a bunch of cheaters, but I feel blessed to have them in my life.
Yesterday, I had lunch with two dear neighbors who have become great friends. We went to one of my favorite Mexican restaurants, Gloria's, which never fails to deliver delicious food and stellar service.
If you have been reading my blog for a while, you know that I take a Summer sabbatical every Summer. Friday will be my last day, and I will be back with bells on, God willing, after Labor Day.
I didn't want you to miss me too much, so I put together a list of books and movies coming out this Summer.
Here are some books that I recently read. After the blurb, I have included the release date.
The Office meets Six Feet Under meets About a Boy in this coming-of-middle-age tale about having a second chance to write your life’s story.
I absolutely loved this book, but it's not for everyone. Although I love this author's dark humor, it could trigger some people. I recommend the audio version.
It will be on my Top 10 list of 2025.
After Alejandro Velasco is found dead, a handsome stranger visits the family. But when this newcomer’s secrets collide with those of Alejandro’s sister, sparks fly—and blood is shed.
This book was the author's first, but hopefully not his last. He is a working actor in Hollywood and did a fabulous job narrating his own words. The characters were vivid, and the plot kept me guessing.
The Mister and I listened to this in the car. We agreed that it was very entertaining.
I'm not saying it's good, but it's hard to look away.
Living a double life always comes with a cost.
Lots of twists and turns! This debuts today.
Fifteen years ago, Frida and her brother escaped a cult. Now her brother is the prime suspect in a murder investigation—and it isn’t the first time.
I loved the author's first book, The Quiet Tenant. This book lacked the intensity of her first one and sometimes dragged. This comes out on 7/8.
When a daughter and her famous mother return to Winthrop Island to confront their complicated past, they discover a secret trove of paintings that connect them to a mysterious woman who vanished on a luxury steamship two centuries earlier.
I am halfway through this page-turner and loving every minute!
This debuts on 7/29.
Most people don’t even notice them—three tiny figures sitting at the end of a long pier in the corner of one of the most famous paintings in the world.
I read this a couple of months ago and absolutely loved it.
It will be on my Top 10 List of 2025.
An unexpected road trip across America brings a family together in this raucous and moving new novel from the bestselling author of Nothing to See Here.
I loved his last book, so I will definitely give this one a whirl.
5/13
A teenage girl breaks free from her father’s world of isolation to discover that her whole life is a lie in this propulsive new novel.
6/3
A novel about one woman’s quest to build her own life before it’s too late.
Did someone say Lake Como?
I'm in.
7/8
A novel tracing a father’s disappearance across time, nations, and memory, from the author of Trust Exercise.
6/3
A twisty, gripping novel that wraps around a deeply moving love story.
Bookstagrammers are loving this one.
7/8
Amazon
An astonishing new novel about the joys and entanglements of a fierce group of teenage mothers in a small town on the Florida panhandle.
6/24
It’s a thin line between love and love-hating in the newest laugh-out-loud, all-the-feels rom-com by New York Times bestselling author Katherine Center.
Out today!
A razor-sharp, wildly sexy novel about a wealthy New England family’s long-overdue reckoning... and the one week that threatens to tear them apart.
7/8
An epic new novel set against the backdrop of the 1980s space shuttle program about the extraordinary lengths we go to live and love beyond our limits.
6/3
An electrifying new novel about two jewel thieves, a priceless bracelet that disappears in 1940s Paris, and a quest for answers in a decades-old murder.
6/3
A young writer journeys to South America to uncover the truth about her father—and herself.
Three women are connected by one man in this kaleidoscopic thriller.
I read this a few months ago, and it is one of my favorites by Jewell.
6/24
Julie Clark masterfully weaves together a daughter's long-held suspicions and her father's deadly secrets with the tragic events from the past.
I am a big fan of Clark's, and she did not let me down with this page-turner.
6/3
A woman is tormented by nightmarish visions of her future—and then they start to come true.
This one kept me guessing until the very last page.
6/17
An extraordinary new novel with intertwining storylines—one about a killer on a diabolical revenge mission, and another about a vigilante targeting a feminist celebrity speaker—featuring the beloved Holly Gibney and a dynamic new cast of characters.
5/27
Amazon
Author Ruth Ware’s multi-million copy mega-hit The Woman in Cabin 10, Lo Blacklock returns to attend the opening of a luxury hotel, only to find herself in a white-knuckled race across Europe.
7/8
A teenage girl breaks free from her father’s world of isolation to discover that her whole life is a lie.
6/3
A twisty thriller about a young woman trying to solve her own murder.
7/22
A spellbinding novel of literary and psychological suspense about the dark secrets that surface after the shocking disappearance of a charismatic, mercurial teacher at an elite boarding school.
6/17
In 1942, six people destroyed Anna Matheson’s family. Twelve years later, she’s ready for retribution.
6/10
Amazon
An inventive, utterly propulsive murder-mystery in reverse, tracing a marriage back in time to uncover the dark secret at its heart.
One of my favorite authors whom I met last Summer.
6/10
America has a powerful new president... And her husband's on trial for murder.
6/2
This book wins the best cover award!
A retired serial killer’s quiet life is upended by an unexpected visitor. To protect her secret, there’s only one option left—what’s another murder?
8/12
The electrifying true story of a young couple shipwrecked at sea: a mind-blowing tale of obsession, survival, and partnership stretched to its limits.
The Mister and I would have killed each other on the first day.
7/8
Barry Diller, one of America’s most successful businessmen, reveals himself here—his successes, failures, and struggles—with surprising candor and intimacy in a memoir rich in Hollywood lore and filled with business acumen.
It's out today.
The Mister is counting the minutes.
Release date: 5/23
If I have to sit through MI, the Mister has to sit through this one with me.
Release date: 6/27
Trailer
Release date: 7/11
Release: 6/20
See you on Friday!
You can find my past 2025 reading posts
here and
here.
Thank you for all the recommendations. I'm with your hubby - can't wait for Mission Impossible. :)
ReplyDeleteI’m sure you get a few comments on posting a book twice, but do have to say this is one of my favorite postings. However, I do forget the ones I want to read by the time the book comes out Of course you are a favorite and I miss you
ReplyDeleteI have the same problem remembering the review when it comes out! I don’t care for pre-ordering.
DeleteKatie,
ReplyDeleteI always appreciate your book recommendations. We are like minded in our reading and movie selections. I look forward to your final Friday post. It really is summer. Where did the time go? Take care and I will see you on Friday.
Maxine🩷
Have a wonderful summer! Looking forward to your return.
ReplyDeleteI always forget about your sabbaticals. I think I block the idea you take a break each year, but hope you have a wonderful summer with your family. Thanks for the book recommendations. Looking forward to Friday’s post! Jo
ReplyDeleteEnjoy your summer! Will miss your content!
ReplyDeleteI didn't realize Joyce Carol Oates was still writing. I want to read hers and Fredrik Backman's book. Always impressed by how much you read! Going to star your post so I can refer back to it when I need something to read and watch. Enjoy your summer.
ReplyDeleteThank you for all the great book recommendations! Just ordered 7 to fill my pool bag. Hope you have a fantastic summer ☀️
ReplyDeleteAlready looking forward to your return in the fall!
ReplyDeleteHave a delightful summer! I will miss your content!
ReplyDeleteReply
Always love your book recommendations, Katie!! Have a fantastic summer! Hope pickleball is in your plan!!
ReplyDeleteNice one, take a look at ModnaDziewczyna.pl
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