I’ve gotten through several newish books that were on my Summer list. I found a couple of gems and one that didn’t quite live up to the hype–for me. I’m also rereading one of my all-time favorites with my two oldest kids. This wasn’t their idea by any means but since I’m such a “drag”, I’m forcing them to read The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls. If you need a tool to teach empathy, it’s a good one.
The Last Romantics by Tara Conklin If you love a good family drama. . . and I do! I probably wouldn’t have picked this one up based on the name alone but it was one of my favorites of the year. There’s a lot of sibling relationship issues and it spans over several decades. It reminded me of Commonwealth–another favorite.
Beartown by Fredrik Backman Another title I almost didn’t read based on the name alone. Also, I knew it had something to do with hockey which I am interested in about zero percent–but you know what they say about not judging a book by its cover. A hockey town just happens to be where this story is set. The story itself is about family relationships, friendships and loyalty when it’s tested by a terrible happening. I liked this one enough that I’m reading the sequel now. (PS–This is by the same author who wrote A Man Called Ove.)
The Address by Fiona Davis A historical novel with lots of twists and turns is hard to beat. I sped through this one. It’s set in the Dakota, the real NYC building where John Lennon lived and was killed, which is just an interesting side note. This story is set in the late 1800s and centers around the messed up love affair between the building’s architect and its first female manager.
The Stolen Marriage by Diane Chamberlain I listened to the audio book of this and loved every minute of it, which really says something because I rarely finish one. Historical fiction set during the polio epidemic, it’s the story of a young Catholic woman in the 1940s who finds herself suddenly way off course from the perfect life she’d planned, thanks to an unplanned pregnancy. There’s tragedy, betrayal and some redemption. (By the way, I’ve yet to read a Diane Chamberlain book that I didn’t like.)
Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens This book has been recommended to me more than any other lately. I did like it–a lot–and although it still didn’t make the top of this short list, I do think it’s a perfect Summer read. It’s set in the marsh lands North Carolina and is the story of a young girl who grows up totally abandoned by her family and community. The book starts with a suspicious death and back tracks from there, starting many years before.
Daisy Jones and the Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid This one is getting so much hype and I couldn’t wait to read it. Maybe it was the format that threw me off (the entire book is written as an interview for a magazine) or that is was about a rock and roll band from the 70s, but I just didn’t jive with the whole concept. It’s not about Fleetwood Mac, but that’s who I kept picturing. There is a ton of drug use, depression, fighting among the band, cheating. . . Basically just sunshine and rainbows. I’m okay with a book not being all happy, but I just never felt like this one got to a point.
What are you reading now?
And, what book hasn’t lived up to the hype for you?
I’m a high-school English teacher, and I urge kids to read The Glass Castle, too! It’s so powerful. I agree about Daisy Jones & The Six! I had high hopes and didn’t see those fulfilled. I recently enjoyed The River by Peter Heller. It’s intense but truly well-written.
Interesting. I’ve heard strong mixed reviews on The River. People either seem to love or hate it.
I was *so* excited to read Where the Crawdads Sing, but the ending left me less than satisfied. While I loved the entire book, the end just was not how it really would have played out had this been a true story. Your reviews have always been spot on, so I am looking forward to Glass Castles and Beartown.
That was exactly it for me, too. I didn’t love the ending either.
always my favorite posts! I love to know what people are reading!
Where the Crawdads Sing totally did not live up to the hype for me. I just couldn’t get past how implausible it would be for an abandoned 7 year old girl with no education to thrive the way she did. I found it to be beautifully written but the plot was really lacking.
Another overrated book I just finished – Before We Were Yours. I absolutely do not understand the hype with that one!!
Just started The Last Romantics for my book club. So far so good!
It’s funny because I kept thinking about how my 7-year-old twins would survive in that situation. I don’t think it would go so well. . . :)
I agree on Daisy Jones. I was disappointed after reading all the hype. I had a hard time finishing.
I am going to read Beartown thanks to your recommendation. :) I loved his other book Britt-Marie Was Here which has a kids’ soccer team woven through the story. Was basically the female version of Ove. I laughed and cried. A sweet story.
I always enjoy your recommendations. I just finished Ask Again, Yes. I’m pretty sure recommended by you. I’m still processing it, but I think I liked it. I wasn’t a huge fan of most of A Man Called Ove, until the ending so I’ve been hesitant to read Beartown. I really liked Before We Were Yours and I’m planning to read We Were the Lucky Ones next.
I really liked Ask Again, Yes. Felt the same as you about Ove. . .
I just started The Tatooist of Auschwitz. I also bought, but haven’t started, Next Year in Havana.
We’ll see!
I read Where The Crawdads Sing and really enjoyed it. Beautifully written but agree with the premise that a young girl wouldn’t thrive on her own.
BearTown was good.
Going to request The Last Romantics from the library.
Hear so much about Diane Chamberlain. Checked out The Secret Life of CeeCee Wilkes and thought it was terrible. Not sure if I got more than a fourth of the way through before I returned it to the library.
I just finished The Room on Rue Amelie. I loved it! I love historical fiction set during WWII (especially German-occupied France), but this was a bit lighter than other books I’ve read in that category. I really enjoyed it and recommend. I read Daisy Jones before Rue Amelie, and it was ok. Currently reading Orphan Train. I love your book posts and have gotten so many good recommendations from you. I too love family dramas, so interested to read The Last Romantics.
The Glass Castle is one of my favorite books ever and I totally agree with you about Daisy Jones. I just finished it and didn’t think it was as awesome as all the press it’s received. I am looking forward to the movie though!
I love the book review posts! I read Bear Town too. It got off to a slow start for me, but I enjoyed it a lot after that. I am reading the sequel now. I really like several of this author’s books.
Where the Crawdads Sing was a bit of a miss for me. It was well written and I did find it interesting, but as others have mentioned, it seemed too unlikely that a child would be left alone for years on end and not one of the adults who was aware would have gotten her placed into some type of care. I also thought it was sad to the point of being depressing!
Where the Crawdads Sing is on my list. I just wrote down the Stolen Marriage. I am reading a Beautiful Boy (about a father-son relationship with son living thru addiction).It was made into a movie with what’s his name from The Office. laura in CO
Oooh. I love that you have your older kids reading The Glass Castle. I found it so tough to swallow but so well done and hard to put down. Maybe my 13 year old would like it. Definitely a perspective builder.
I haven’t read any of these yet but love Frederick Backman’s Books since you led me to Ove. I’m adding the Diane Chamberlaon book to my vacation list now too!
I just finished two books by Donia Bijan: The Last Days of Cafe Leila (not sure if that was one of your recommendations or not) and her memoir, Maman’s Homesick Pie. Both were excellent reads. She is a beautiful writer and shares stories of her homeland, Iran, before the revolution so well. Incredible imagery in and characterization in Leila.
I also finished Judy Blume’s novel, In the Unlikely Event. It was okay. Kind of tough to love for some reason yet I couldn’t abandon it. Thanks for your list! I always look forward to them. Happy Reading!
What you have read lately is always one of my favorite posts! Can’t wait to read a couple of your recommendations!
A Gentleman in Moscow is the best book I’ve read lately.
I still haven’t read that one. On my list!
I loved A Gentleman in Moscow. Definitely read it!
I read A Gentleman in Moscow several months ago and liked it, too. Not one of my all time favs, but I’m not sorry I read it. I’m determined to avoid those these days. So many good ones to waste time on duds.
This is always one fo my favorite posts. I just added some of those to my list to read. I just finished Before We Were Yours and I enjoyed it. I almost would like to see 2 years later and how the revelation has effected the family at that time (and how a political family “managed” the information). I read a good bit of non-fiction and am happy to be reading stories again!
That would be a great sequel!
Commonwealth is one of my favorite books, ever! I haven’t read any of those you discussed here, but my older kids have had to read The Glass Castle for HS English, and both loved it. I handed them Trevor Noah’s book to read this summer and they both loved that, too. As for me, this summer I’ve just been absorbed in reading all of Sophie Hannah’s books (crime fiction), but I’m pinning the ones you recommended for when I get out of my rut :-)
I listened for Daisy Jones on audiobook and it was performed as a full cast and really well done. I think that was a big reason I like it — I might have abandoned it in traditional format.
I read An American Marriage earlier this summer and really liked it, maybe because it was not exactly what I expected. Also, after seeing a few minutes of the author discuss her book on an episode of Oprah’s Super Soul Sunday, I read Educated…. and wow…. I find myself thinking about it often. So many questions I’d like to ask her. Also, if you have not read These Is My Words yet, please consider it when a gritty Arizona frontier love story sounds appealing. ha!
Since I, too, loved Commonwealth, The Last Romantics is going on my list. Thanks!
Educated by Tara Westover was my favorite this summer. I also read The Tattooist of Auschwitz… excellent.
I love Ian McEwan’s books and recently read Nutshell by him. It was fabulous!
Thanks for your recommendations. I just picked up Where the Crawdads Sing and thought that it would be a good beach read. My summer favorite is Educated by Tara Westover—a memoir of a young woman growing up in a challenging family environment in Idaho. I couldn’t put this book down. I also loved the memoir of Michelle Obama, Becoming. Michelle Obama is someone who has always inspired and intrigued me as a woman and this book was true to that for me. Right now I’m reading Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine and while it’s not my favorite book of the summer I do enjoy the humor woven throughout the story.
I think that I will have my kids read The Glass Castle. My daughter is 18 and an avid reader who will likely welcome the suggestion, but my 14 year old son might require an incentive.
I loved both I Miss You When I Blink by Mary Laura Philpott and Maybe You Should Talk to Someone by Lori Gottlieb. Both were excellent reads!
The last time you did a similar post, I suggested that you read Beyond the Point by Claire Gibson and you remarked you hadn’t heard of it and that’s OK because it had only recently been released. A week or so later the movie rights were purchased by Ron Howard’s production company. I hope that piques your interest in reading that to some degree. Frankly, I thought it was one of the best books I’d read in quite some time.
Thanks for the recommendations! The Glass Castle has to be one of my favorite books I’ve ever read.
I love when you share posts like these! I can’t remember if you read Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet? I loved that one! I also loved “the couple next door” and “story of beautiful girl”.
Yes–I loved Hotel at the Corner of Bitter and Sweet!
Emily, did you read The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton in middle/high school? I just re-read it (in about an hour it’s so amazing) on a whim cleaning off a bookshelf. It is so, so good. My 14yo son loved it. (hahaha then we rented the movie on Amazon bc Tom Cruise, Patrick Swayze, Rob Lowe, Emilio Estevez, Ralph Macchio and Diane Lane starred in an 80s version of the book. The movie was sooooo lammmmmmmme compared to the dynamic writing of the author–so don’t bother with the movie but read the book!!)
I always enjoy these posts. I tend to like older books or the classics but enjoy being introduced to newer stories. Beartown looks interesting to me so it’s on the list. I’m currently reading some PG Woodhouse (hilarious),and am listening to ‘The Pastor’s Wife’ by Elizabeth von Arnim which is heart wrenching. I’ve just started ‘The Day the World Came to Town’ which is about 9/11 when American airspace was closed and planes had to land in Newfoundland. So far so good.
I’m leaving for two weeks in Maine so it’s good to be prepared with reading material! Thank you!
I’ve never heard of The Pastor’s Wife but that sounds interesting. Thanks! Have a good trip :)
Thanks so much for The Stolen Marriage recommendation on audio. Loved it! I didn’t even put together that in addition to dealing with WWII, people at home we’re dealing with polio and the hospital in Hickory. Fascinating! Thanks.
LOVED Beartown and Us Against You. Also, Britt Marie Was Here was really good on audio.
I didn’t even know he’d written a new book. Thanks for the Britt Marie recommendation!
I loved Where the Crawdads Sing. The descriptions about nature were gorgeous and so incredibly well written