I'm lucky enough to have gotten advanced reader's copies of some of the books coming out over the next few months and have thus already read those, so let me give you my reviews for those first. Books I've already read:
Big Summer - Jennifer Weiner (5/5/20) - I have been a huge fan of Jennifer Weiner all the way back to her very first book, so when I was offered an advanced copy of her new book, I couldn't resist being one of the first to read it, and it did not disappoint. Main character Daphne is a 20-something plus size social media influencer, who is contacted out of the blue by her high school best friend Dru who asks her to be a bridesmaid in her wedding, even though they haven't spoken since a big fight 6 years prior. So a big theme of the book is that how people present themselves in social media and even in real life isn't always what's going on beneath the surface. With other themes of friendship, family, love, forgiveness, and the battle for self-acceptance and against body shaming, this is a quintessential Jennifer Weiner book, though I have to say I was surprised by a twist partway through the book that turned it into a bit of a mystery. Still, a very enjoyable book for any Jennifer Weiner fan and I'm sure to those who have not previously read her books as well.
The Bright Side of Going Dark - Kelly Harms (5/12/20) - Randomly, just like Jennifer Weiner's book, this book also tackles the theme of social media vs. reality, though with a different spin. This cute contemporary women's novel alternates between two perspectives. Mia is an extremely popular social media influencer on fictional social media site Pictey who doesn't know what to do with herself when her fiance calls off their (totally sponsored) wedding right before the wedding. Paige is a socially awkward woman who works for Pictey reviewing flags on posts/comments, but actually disdains social media herself, but ends up getting involved with Mia's account and starts to see the good side of social media as well as the dark side. Along the way, both women learn to connect to people in real life. The theme that people's lives (whether in person or on social media) are often not as perfect as they look on the outside is definitely a good one, but I also liked that while extolling personal connection, the book doesn't completely trash everything about social media but considers some of the good ways it can help connect people as well as well as its negatives. I liked Kelly Harms' book last year "The Overdue Life of Amy Byler" a little better, but she has definitely earned herself on a spot on my list of authors I will continue to read regardless of what they write.
The Lies That Bind - Emily Giffin (6/2/20) - I've been a huge fan of Emily Giffin ever since her debut many years ago and I think this one is one of her best books ever! It's about a 28 year old woman named Cecily and her romantic travails over the course of a year or so - I will say no more about the plot because I think it's best to just let it unfold without any spoilers. Interestingly, instead of being set in the present, it's set back in 2001, and she did such a good job with the setting that it really brought me back to my own 20s living in Manhattan at the turn of the century. Adding that to Giffin's characteristically great writing, I really felt like Cecily was a real person and I was very invested in her story. I seriously couldn't put this book down - I read it all in one day including staying up way too late last night to finish it. I'm not sure I'm 100% sold on the ending, but I'd love to discuss it with someone - I think this would make a great book club selection as there is definitely a lot to discuss about various choices Cecily and other characters make during the book and what you would do in that situation. 4.5 stars.
Remain Silent - Susie Steiner (6/2/20) - I am a big fan of Susie Steiner's first two books about Detective Manon Bradshaw, so was very excited to get an advanced copy of this third book in the series. This one centers on the suspicious death of a Lithuanian immigrant found hanged in a tree - by Manon herself - but with a note which seems to suggest he was murdered. This central mystery was interesting, as was the discussion of the exploitation of Lithuanian immigrant workers and the hatred for them in the small English town where the book is set. And as with the other books, the writing is very literary and is as much about the personal life of the gruff but lovable Manon and her partner Davy as about the mystery. Perhaps a touch less satisfying than the first two books in the series, but still an excellent literary mystery that keeps Susie Steiner right up there with my other favorite literary mystery writers like Tana French, Jane Harper, and Kate Atkinson. (So if you're a fan of those authors' work, definitely check out this series as well!) I would say that if Susie Steiner writes a 4th book in the series I'll be first in line to read it, but was devastated by the author's note at the end in which Steiner reveals that she has not entirely treatable glioblastoma. Sending my wishes for continued good health for her and if by some miracle she's able to keep writing, I will indeed be there.
Next, some books I haven't read yet but am super excited to get my hands on:
All Adults Here - Emma Straub (5/5/20) - Emma Straub's last book, "Modern Lovers," was on my 2016 top 10 list and I also really enjoyed her book "The Vacationers" as well so I'm really looking forward to this one. Sounds like another dysfunctional family story, hopefully with her usual humor and insight.
A Good Marriage - Kimberly Streight (5/5/20) - This book is described by the publisher as "Big Little Lies meets Presumed Innocent in this riveting novel ... in which a woman’s brutal murder reveals the perilous compromises some couples make—and the secrets they keep—in order to stay together." I really enjoyed Streight's previous mystery/thrillers "Reconstructing Amelia" and "Where They Found Her," so I'll definitely check this one out.
Catherine House - Elizabeth Thomas (5/12/20) - This one sounds very cool - described by the publisher as "[a]seductive, gothic-infused tale of literary suspense—the debut of a spectacular new voice —about a dangerously curious young undergraduate whose rebelliousness leads her to discover a shocking secret involving an exclusive circle of students . . . and the dark truth beneath her school’s promise of prestige."
The Sun Sister - Lucinda Riley (5/19/20) - Lucinda Riley is one of my favorite authors of dual time period historical fiction. This is the 6th book in her "Seven Sisters" series which my friend Sarah and I have been reading together from the start as part of our two person book club. This one alternates between the modern day story of the youngest of the sisters, and a historical story set in Kenya in the 1930s and 1940s. I actually have an advanced reader's copy of this one already, but haven't read it yet - my concentration lately is not what it used to be so I haven't quite mustered the energy for it. But Sarah and I have designated it as our June book club pick so I will read it then.
The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes - Suzanne Collins (5/19/20) - A prequel to Suzanne Collins' smash "Hunger Games" series, set 64 years earlier. Is a prequel necessary? No. But I will I be reading this book as soon as humanly possible? But of course. I'm sure this will be a huge bestseller, and they've already announced a movie adaptation of it as well.
The Second Home - Christina Clancy (6/2/20) - The publisher describes this one as a "debut novel set on Cape Cod that centers on a beloved family home and the summer that changed the lives of three siblings forever, perfect for readers of J. Courtney Sullivan and Elin Hilderbrand." I enjoy those writers and I also love books set on Cape Cod after many vacations there myself. Hoping I can make it to my Cape Cod vacation this August, but at least I have this book set there to look forward to.
You Can't Catch Me - Catherine McKenzie (6/9/20) - I've been a fan of Catherine McKenzie for a while now - she started out writing just regular contemporary women's fiction but gradually her books have become something just on the edge of thrillers. The publisher's blurb of this one says: "Twelve years ago Jessica Williams escaped a cult. Thanks to the private detective who rescued her, she reintegrated into society, endured an uncomfortable notoriety, and tried to put it all behind her. Then, at an airport bar, Jessica meets a woman with an identical name and birth date. It appears to be just an odd coincidence—until a week later, when Jessica finds her bank account drained and her personal information stolen. Following a trail of the grifter’s victims, each with the same name, Jessica gathers players—one by one—for her own game." Sounds interesting and different.
I Was Told It Would Get Easier - Abbi Waxman (6/16/20) - Abbi Waxman has totally become a must read author for me, as her three books so far made my top 10 list three times in a row, most recently with my just published 2019 top 10 list. Can she make it 4 for 4 with this tale of a mother and a daughter on a crazy college road trip? We will see but I hope so!
Party of Two - Jasmine Guillory (6/23/20) - I only discovered Jasmine Guillory in 2019, and I'm obsessed with her - I read all four of her books in a 7 month period. Like Kelly Harms, her books are not quite top 10 material, but I have recommended them highly to all looking for a light fun chick lit type of read. Luckily for me she seems to churn the books out, as her next book comes out in June. It's the 5th in this loosely connected series, each of which features a character or characters previously mentioned as a supporting character in one or more of the previous books. This one is about Olivia, the sister of Alexa who was the main character in the first book of the series, "The Wedding Date."
The Girl From Widow Hills - Megan Miranda (6/23/20) - I have really enjoyed Megan Miranda's previous thrillers, so looking forward to checking this one out as well. The publisher's blurb for this one is kind of long but I'll try to condense it. "Arden Maynor was just a child when she was swept away while sleepwalking during a terrifying rainstorm and went missing for days... Against all odds, she was found, alive, clinging to a storm drain... As soon as she was old enough, Arden changed her name and disappeared from the public eye. Now a young woman living hundreds of miles away, Arden goes by Olivia. She’s managed to stay off the radar for the last few years. But with the twentieth anniversary of her rescue approaching... Olivia feels like she’s being watched and begins sleepwalking again, like she did long ago, even waking outside her home. Until late one night she jolts awake in her yard. At her feet is the corpse of a man she knows—from her previous life, as Arden Maynor."
Her Last Flight - Beatriz Williams (6/30/20) - Beatriz Williams is another of my favorite authors of dual time period historical fiction. This one sounds maybe a little Amelia Earhart inspired, with one story set in the late 1940s about a photojournalist working on a biography of a pioneering pilot, and the other set in the 1930s about a fictional female pilot who disappeared during an around the world flight.
So there you have it! Hope that's enough books to keep you busy!
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