Devotions, by Mary Oliver
I can now appreciate the solace and the challenge offered by Mary Oliver through her poetry. This compilation is worth your time.
Read MoreLying Awake, by Mark Salzman
A beautiful, well-crafted novel of the calling and spiritual life of a Carmelite nun living an austere life removed from the world. Salzman does everything right with this inspiring book.
Read MoreTell Me Everything, by Elizabeth Strout
The latest installment in Strout’s story of Lucy Barton, Olive Kitteridge, and Bob Burgess, characters you will come to know and love.
Read MoreWe Solve Murders, by Richard Osman
Richard Osman returns with a new cast of amateur murder detectives. You will probably grow to love them as much as the Thursday Murder Club gang.
Read MoreCreation Lake, by Rachel Kushner
A depressing story of a disenchanted female secret agent, deployed to undermine a commune seeking to thwart destructive corporate plans. Pacing is too slow, protagonist too unlikeable.
Read MoreSudden Sea: The Great Hurricane of 1938, by R.A. Scotti
Eighty-six years after the Hurricane of 1938, learn about what it was like to experience a storm of great magnitude, with absolutely no warning.
Read MoreLady Macbeth, by Ava Reid
A retelling of Shakespeare's Macbeth, from the feminist viewpoint of Lady Macbeth.
Read MoreHum, by Helen Phillips
A dystopian view of the impacts of AI and climate change in the near future, told through the eyes of one family, trying to cope.
Read MoreThe Wide Wide Sea: Imperial Ambition, First Contact and the Fateful Final Voyage of Captain James Cook, by Hampton Sides
Enjoy this story of adventure and suspense, learning about Captain James Cook, first contact of indigenous people of Hawaii with Europeans, and the age of courageous men navigating unknown seas.
Read MoreConclave, by Robert Harris
Due to be released as a movie in November 2024, be sure to read this page-turning suspense novel now.
Read MoreThe Glass Maker, by Tracy Chevalier
A magical story of the glass making Rosso family of Murano, and a love song to Venice.
Read MoreIn Ascension, by Martin MacInnes
A speculative, science fiction novel that explores the big questions about the relationship humans have with other life on Earth, and our quest to understand the universe and ourselves. Fascinating intellectually, but not heart warming.
Read MoreHillbilly Elegy, by J.D. Vance
A must read before you vote. I hope this young man stays the course, a hopeful light for the future of our republic.
Read MoreSandwich, by Catherine Newman
Don’t make my mistake: NOT a tale of generations, but rather a consoling support for abortion as a means to choose the life you want. Reader, you are warned.
Read MoreIn My Time of Dying: How I Came Face-to-Face with the Idea of an Afterlife, by Sebastian Junger
Another deeply personal, well-written exploration from Junger, about the ultimate question.
Read MoreThis Other Eden, by Paul Harding
A 2023 National Book Award finalist, this richly layered novel is a worthwhile literary read. Read my review for a cautionary note, however.
Read MoreBear, by Julia Phillips
A modern day fairy tale, set in the natural beauty of San Juan Island, Washington state, when a bear intrudes on the lives of two sisters. Expect this book to get award nominations.
Read MoreIrreversible Damage: The Transgender Craze Seducing Our Daughters, by Abigail Shrier
Shrier will help you gain a greater understanding of this recent psychological and social phenomenon, without the political bias.
Read MoreThe Ministry of Time, by Kaliane Bradley
A time travel romance, bringing a near-future woman together with a early Victorian Royal Naval officer. Add some spy adventure, and you have a good-enough, fun summer read.
Read MoreRecent Reads: Brief Mentions
A grab bag of my recent reads that might make for good additions to your summer reading list.
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