Driftwood Summer by Patti Callahan Henry

Driftwood Summer   by Patti Callahan Henry was a book about a family in a small beachside town who have many conflicts and have gone their separate ways.  The family owns a bookstore on the beach run by one sister, Riley who is a single mom, never revealing the father of her son.  One sister, Maisy is an interior designer in California and escaped the family running away from something terrible she did to her best friend.  And then Adalee who is a college student.  They all come back together to the beachside bookstore, Driftwood Cottage to help their mother celebrate the anniversary of the bookstore with a week of special events.  It is during this time they face all the conflicts that tore them apart.  In trying to right their wrongs many secrets are revealed making this an interesting read.

I enjoyed all the story lines but it has always been my dream to open a bookstore on the beach and I loved reading that part of the story of how they ran the bookstore, the layout, the events they held and more.  I have never read a book by this author but I am sure I will be picking up more by her.  The descriptions of the characters made you invest in their lives and want them to work everything out.  It was easy to sympathize with them and what they were dealing with.  Definitely worth a read.

Kindred Spirits by Sarah Strohmeyer

Kindred Spirits is a book about 4 women who are always there for each other.  When one of the friends dies suddenly she leaves a note for the group that reveals a stunning secret they never knew about her.  She asks them to fulfill this final wish for her.  The remaining 3 women go on a road trip to do this one last thing for their friend Lynne.  During there trip they learn secrets about each other and become closer through their journey.  They are able to help each other through some tough times.

I enjoyed this book of women friendships, I could relate to these women.  The book reminded me a lot of Second Time Around, which I reviewed earlier.  The author, Sarah Strohmeyer writes so that you can picture each character and feel their joy and pain as though you were going through it.  I would recommend this book. It is another author I have never read before but will look for other books by her.

Some Assembly Required by Lynn Kiele Bonasia

I picked up Some Assembly Required by Lynn Kiele Bonasia because it was set on Cape Cod, my childhood home away from home.  It is a book about a 39 year old named Rose, she breaks up with her longtime boyfriend and heads to Cape Cod to start over.  She ends up with some very eccentric neighbors who you can't help but love.  There is an autistic boy who lives next door that holds the community together after his mom dies, he has no father, so the community bands together to take responsibility for him.  There is also a mystery of a man who went missing many years ago who has connections to Rose's neighbor, she wants to help out by trying to find out what really happened.  It is surprising what she finds out.

I thought it was a great book of love, loss, friendship with a little mystery thrown in.  I recognized some of the places they mentioned in the story.  I read her other book Summer Shift a couple years ago about a woman who runs a crab shack on Cape Cod, also a good book.  If you are looking for a quick read with lovable characters pick this one up.

Second Time Around by Beth Kendrick

Second Time Around by Beth Kendrick was a book recommended to me.  I really enjoyed it.  It is about a group of women who were all English majors at the same college in New York. After graduation they meet at one of the woman's family home each Fourth of July weekend.  They all talk about how they wish they were all doing something else with their careers and often talk about how maybe English wasn't the best major to have. They inherit $250,000. each and have a second chance at doing what they really want. They end up testing other things, some are happy and some not so much.

I loved and could relate to each of the characters, I could easily see myself being friends with these women.  It is a story of love and loss, finding new beginnings and moving on with life.  It would make a great movie as opposed to all the old movies they are now remaking :)

Beth Kendrick is another new author I have found this summer and will definitely look up some other books by her to read.

A great quick read, read it in a day.

Still Missing by Chevy Stevens

One of my book clubs chose Still Missing by Chevy Stevens, not sure if I ever would have picked it up otherwise but I must say I enjoyed it.  It is a psychological thriller about a realtor who is having an open house and as she is packing up, a man shows up and talks her into letting her look at the house.  He abducts her and puts her through a year of hell.

I like the way the book is written, each chapter is her session with the psychiatrist she is seeing.  The content of the book is disturbing but I found I could not put it down.  There are some twists and turns I did not see coming.  It kind of reminded me of a Nicci French book, which are disturbing but always hold my attention.

The book shows all the emotions a woman who was abducted goes through and how she can move on with her life.  Interesting format to the chapters.  I will be looking up more of Chevy Steven's books and will try another one.  That is what I love about book clubs, it introduces me to so many books I would not normally read.

This book is not for the weak, if you are looking for a quick, easy read this isn't it, it is a bit more intense.

The Witches of East End by Melissa de la Cruz

I never read her Blue Bloods series but thought I would give The Witches of East End a try. It is a story of witches in a fictious New York town - North Hampton.  The Beauchamps are a family of witches- mother Joanna, daughters Ingrid and Freya. They are immortal, but ever since they got busted at the Salem witch trials they have been under strict orders to live as normal people and not use their powers. As the story opens, Ingrid can no longer stand by and watch helplessly as a middle-aged co-worker struggles to conceive a child. Freya makes her first appearance in the book having sex with her fiance's brother. Though this makes her less than likable, she too is drawn back to witchcraft by her desire to help others. Even Joanna finds herself going astray. It was just ok for me through most of the book.  I often found myself skimming pages just to get through the end, which I did not like.  In the last part of the book, it turns out that the characters are not actually witches but figures from Norse mythology. It was assumed that the reader had some background knowledge of Norse Mythology, which I do not. I don't know if any of this is mentioned in her Blue Blood series.  I think this is supposed to be the first in a series of books, I don't think I will be reading the next ones.  

The One That I Want by Allison Winn Scotch

This is another book I picked up by an author I have never read before.  In The One That I Want by Allison Winn Scotch, Tilly Farmer is living her ideal life. She is married to her high school sweetheart and still in touch with her best friend from high school who is, in turn, married to herhigh school sweetheart. Plus, Tilly works at her old high school as a guidance counselor, where one of her major responsibilities is helping to plan the prom, one of her favorite events of all time. Life is going swimmingly; she might even possibly be pregnant, although it is far too early to tell.

But then she runs into an old high school friend working as a fortune teller. Instead of giving Tilly a reading, she says she is going to give her a gift, the gift of clarity. Suddenly, Tilly begins seeing bits and pieces of things before they happen. Bad things. Things that upset the idyllic life that Tilly is leading. Things that force her to decide what she really wants out of life.

I found the book slow at times and there were parts were I had to keep reading to see what would happen next.  It wasn't my favorite but an easy read, if you are looking for something quick.

The Girl Who Chased the Moon by Sarah Addison Allen

Here is another book of an author I have never read before but will read again.  The Girl Who Chased the Moon by Sarah Addison Allen was a very mystical book with a side of romance.  Emily Benedict was brought to live with her grandfather in a small town of Mullaby, North Carolina. It’s a town of oddities. Her grandfather is almost eight feet tall. Her bedroom wallpaper changes, frequently. Everyone has its secrets. Her mother was involved in something scandalous involving the Coffey family, so scandalous that the townspeople’s long memories have pegged Emily as an outcast before she even has time to set foot in Mullaby. But people’s recollections of Emily’s mom don’t fit with the social do gooder that her mom was before she died. What Emily comes to realize was that she was her mother’s chance at redemption.

Her neighbor, Julia Winterson, befriends Emily. Even though Emily’s mom was one of Julia’s high school tormenters, Julia recognizes loneliness when she sees it and it radiates from Emily. This story is all about second chances. It’s about Emily’s mom’s second chance lived through Emily. It’s about the Win Coffey defying his family’s orders to give his people a second chance. It’s about Julia, who bakes her cakes for a lost love and not the most recognizable loss either.

It was an easy read, which I enjoyed because I was looking for a light beach read while on vacation. Some of the strange things that happened in the town were answered while some were not.  The characters are a bit eccentric but overall a fun read.

Here, Home, Hope by Kaira Rouda

I have found myself reading lots of new authors I have not read before, many are debut novels. Kaira Rouda’s new book, Here, Home, Hope, is an entertaining, lighthearted novel about Kelly Johnson, a middle-aged woman, who feels the need to reinvent herself.  Kelly steps out of her comfort zone and courageously takes ownership of the direction she wants her life to move.  She starts this reinvention by honestly examining all of her present and past relationships.  She then takes steps to amend any unjust actions she has made.  Her retrospection helps her gain valuable insight about herself.

Throughout the book you will smile or laugh at some of her humorous efforts to change.  Many of us can easily identify with Kelly’s personal self-doubt.  We can also relate to her relationships, because we recognize people in our lives similar to the characters in Kelly’s life.  Our lives were also shaped by the demands and expectations of modern society.  We experienced many of the same influences as Kelly in making our life choices.  Here, Home, Hope, is about rediscovering our inner beliefs and passions to aid us in navigating our way successfully through life.

While her two sons are off at summer camp for the whole summer, she takes on her best friends very troubled daughter.  They have their ups and downs but in the end really begin to rely on one another. It is a very touching story of these two, this was my favorite relationship in the story.

Kelly ends up starting her own business as a home stager, never heard of that and read two novels this summer where that was the story line, I will know what to do now when I am ready to sell my own house.  

I enjoyed this book, read it on Surfside Beach in Nantucket last week.  It is a great beach read!

The Help by Kathryn Stockett

 I received this book from a friend for Christmas 2009, I just read it last week. I don't know what took me so long - I could not put it down.   Kathryn Stockett's The Help will live in hearts and minds for years to come. The three women who form its core, idealistic Skeeter, loving Aibileen, and sarcastic, sassy Minny, narrate their chapters each in a voice that is distinctive as their personalities. 

These stories of the black maids working for white women in the state of Mississippi of the 60s have an insiders' view of child-rearing, Junior League benefits, town gossip, and race relations. 

Hilly is the town's white Queen Bee with an antebellum attitude towards race. She hopes to lead her minions into the latter part of the century with the "enlightened" view of making sure every home in Jackson, Mississippi, has a separate toilet for the help. Her crusade is, she says, based on clear hygienic criteria, which will save both blacks and whites from heinous diseases. 

Despite the fact that the maids prepare the food, care for the children, and clean every part of every home, privy to every secret, many of the white women look at their black maids as an alien race. There are more enlightened views, especially those of Skeeter, a white, single woman with a college degree, who aspires to more than finding a husband, which her mother is pushing her to do. Skeeter begins collecting the maids' stories. And the maids themselves find the issue of race humiliating, infuriating, life-controlling. Race sows bitter seeds in the dignity of women who feel they have no choices except to follow their mamas into the white women's kitchens and laundries. Aibilene says, "I just want things to be better for the kids." Their hopes lie in education and improvement, change someday for their children. 

There is real danger for the maids sharing their stories as well as danger for Skeeter herself. Something bad happens, making them question their work and a decision to forge ahead, hoping their book can be published anonymously and yet not recognized by the very white women they know to the last deviled egg and crack in a dining room table. 

The relationships between the maids and the white children, the maids and some kind employers, including Cecilia Foot, illuminate the strange history of the South. The love Aibileen shows for Mae Mobley matches the love Skeeter felt as a white child from her maid-nanny Constantine. 

There is never a dull moment, while teaching strong truths about the way the United States evolved from a shameful undercurrent of persistent racism to the hopes and dreams of Martin Luther King and Rosa Parks. Ultimately, will the next generations children learn (and be taught) that skin color is nothing more than a wrapping for the person who lives within? 

The movie comes out August 10th, I hope it is as good as the book! If I am not the last person in the world to read this book, I highly recommend you pick it up!

 

Heat Wave by Nancy Thayer

Just finished Heat Wave by Nancy Thayer, another of my favorite authors from Nantucket.  I love Nancy's books because they always seem so real and you can relate with the characters. Her descriptions of the island make you feel like you are there with her.


Heat Wave is a novel that explores the challenges that life brings to several different women who are friends and how they deal with those changes that are wrought by actions of loved ones. This book is  well written, has an amazing insight on human frailty as it faces and overcomes life's obstacles. I loved this book. It made me laugh, made me somewhat angry, and then made me cry. In the end it made me sigh with joy and fulfillment on behalf of one lady's courage to begin life anew.  


If you are looking for another great beach read, add this to your list, you won't be disappointed.

Silver Girl by Elin Hilderbrand

Elin Hilderbrand is one of my favorite authors.  She lives in Nantucket and all her books take place there. It was after reading her books that I needed to visit, it is now a place we go every summer and will most likely end up living there permanently some day.  Each summer I eagerly await her latest novel and Silver Girl did not disappoint.  It is about 2 life long friends who eventually drift apart but tragedy brings them back together.  Meredith's husband is involved in a ponzi scheme, he is now serving the rest of his life in prison. Meredith is under investigation and truly knew nothing about it.  Connie lost her husband to brain cancer and is estranged from her only daughter.  In desperation Meredith calls her old friend Connie for help escaping.  Connie is on her way to her home in Nantucket for the summer.  It is there that they work through what broke them apart.  Both their lives change while on Nantucket and you won't be disappointed to see how.

Elin Hilderbrand never disappoints in her writing, which is why I eagerly await her next novel as soon as I finish the current one.  I met her at a book signing in Nantucket a couple years ago, she is very down to earth and someone you know you could easily hang out with.  If you need a book to add to your summer reading list, make sure you put this one on it.

Now You See Her by James Patterson

If you are looking for a good page turner for the beach, Now You See Her is the book for you.  Jeanine is a college student on spring break in Key West with her boyfriend and best friends, what starts out as a huge party ends up in disaster for Jeanine.  She meets Peter Fournier, a Key West police officer who helps her out of a jam.  Jeanine thinks all is great until she starts discovering things she wishes she hadn't.  Jeanine finds herself continually getting herself out of jams.  Once she finally thinks all is good, there are more twists and turns that interfere with the life she is building for herself.  It is hard to write a review without giving away too much so I will keep this one brief.  The book is full of twists and turns and just when you think you have it figured out there is another twist.

Loved the book, couldn't put it down - I read it in a day.  If you like a good mystery/thriller pick this one up, you won't be disappointed.

Beach Trees by Karen White

Beach Trees by Karen White is a story of Julie Holt who has lost so many times in her life she is just trying to be found.  First her sister Chelsea goes missing as a child and then she loses her best friend Monica to heart problems.  Her best friend wills Julie her son Beau and her beach house in Biloxi, Mississippi.  Julie wants to give Monica's son the opportunity to see where his mom is from.  She leaves New York and heads to Mississippi to find the beach house has been destroyed by Hurricane Katrina.  She finds Monica's brother and grandmother and begins a new life.  At first Monica's brother Trey and Julie can't agree on anything. And then there is Miss Aimee, Monica's grandmother who through telling her own story of her past Julie starts to realize why Monica wanted to bring them all together. Julie and Monica's family is more connected then she realized and now Julie needs to decide what to do next.

This was a great book weaving 2 protagonists in this story of love, loss and rebuilding.  I could not put it down!  Karen White never disappoints.

Sophie Katz Series by Kyra Davis

If you are looking for some fun beach reads, I encourage you to give Kyra Davis's Sophie Katz series a try. There are 5 books in the series so far and I have read and enjoyed them all.  In order they are: 1. Sex, Murder and a Double Latte,2. Passion, Betrayal and Killer Highlights,3. Obsession, Deceit, and Really Dark Chocolate, 4. Lust, Loathing and a Little Lipgloss, and 5. Vows, Vendettas, and a Little Black Dress.


Sophie Katz is a divorced mystery writer who always finds herself in the middle of mysteries herself.  She is an amateur sleuth who tries to solve the crimes and the cops think she is a little crazy!  There is Anatoly a private investigator who begins as someone she fights to someone she ends up falling for throughout the series.  These are considered chic lit but have some mystery and at moments you will find yourself laughing out loud wondering how in the world does she get herself into these situations.  Her closest friends have personalities of their own that will leave you laughing.

The author, Kyra Davis has actually visited two of our book clubs when we were reading her books and she is an amazing person.  She has written a pilot for Lifetime television to make Sophie Katz a series soon. Keeping my fingers crossed, it would be a great show!

If you are looking for something fun to read, pick up her books!

Best Staged Plans by Claire Cook

I can always count on Claire Cook to get my summer reading off to a good start and Best Staged Plans did that again for me this summer.  Sandy Sullivan stages houses, (gets houses ready for selling).  As she looks toward retiring herself, she wants to get her house in order and gets frustrated with her family because she seems to be the only one who wants to get the house in Boston ready for selling.  Getting frustrated with everything she takes a job in Atlanta to stage a new hotel for her best friend's boyfriend.  She is excited at the opportunity to visit her married daughter in Atlanta. When she gets there she realizes her daughter is off to Boston for a month so Sandy spends the time with her son-in-law, which is humorous in itself.

Sandy and her friend Denise have some adventures in trying to figure out if Denise's boyfriend is all he is cracked up to be.  Sandy also meets Naomi living between the dumpsters at the Chocolate Hotel, that she is staging to open.  She befriends her and they both change each other's lives.

I love the description of the Chocolate Hotel as Sandy designs this Atlanta hotel, I would visit myself it were real!  There are lots of great tips in the book too for staging your own house to include some great paint colors.

The thing I love about Claire Cook's books is that you can always connect with her characters and you feel like they are your friends by the end of the book.  She has never disappointed me.  I can picture myself in a lot of the situations her characters get into.

Other books by Claire Cook are:  Must Love Dogs (my personal favorite) Ready to Fall,  Multiple Choice,  Life's a Beach,  Summer Blowout,  The Wildwater Walking Club,  and Seven Year Switch.

The Violets of March by Sarah Jio

Emily lives in New York and just gets a divorce. Her best friend convinces her to go to Bainbridge Island and visit her Aunt for a while to grieve.  While visiting her aunt she comes across a diary and begins reading it. She is fascinated by the story and is trying to figure out who wrote it and why she found it in the room she is staying in.  As she continues to read it she realizes there are some connections to her own life and family.  She also meets Jack who she becomes more and more attracted to and begins a relationship with him.  Her aunt doesn't like Jack nor wants to talk about why she doesn't.  As Emily continues to read the diary she starts to suspect why.  As Emily and Jack continue their relationship she suspects he is involved with someone else.  In frustration of not wanting to get hurt again, she flees the island and heads back to New York.  After receiving an envelope of letters in the mail she realizes she is drawn back to the island.  Follow Emily on her journey and discover can she and Jack have happiness?

This is Sarah Jio's debut novel and I for one could not put it down. It is a story within a story and I had to know what happened to the characters in the main story and the characters in the diary.  You won't be disappointed if you pick this book up, it is a quick read.

Saving Cee Cee Honeycutt By Beth Hoffman

 

Saving Cee Cee Honeycutt is about a 12 year old girl who takes care of her mentally ill mother, while her father is traveling for work. Cee Cee has no friends and her only escape is Mrs. Odell, an elderly woman who lives next door.  After her mother is killed in a horrible accident, her dad sends Cee Cee off to live with her great aunt in Savannah, Georgia. While living with her aunt, she discovers what it is like to have a family and not worry about taking care of anyone else.  She has some interesting adventures with her aunt's eccentric neighbors.  Cee Cee finally finds happiness, she develops a nice relationship with Oletta - the cook of her aunt's house.  Mrs. Odell comes to visit and ends up living with her and her aunt. She has everything she has ever wanted.  Her aunt gets her enrolled in a private school, while there taking a tour of the school she meets Dixie, who becomes her first real friend her own age.

It was a sweet story of a young girl who begins her life with heartache and ends up learning what it is like to just be a kid.   The author does a great job creating eccentric characters that bring southern charm to this story.  Her descriptions of Savannah make you feel like you are there right along with Cee Cee. A quick read you are sure to enjoy!

Night Road by Kristin Hannah

I have only started reading Kristin Hannah about a year ago, but have not been disappointed with any of the books I have read. 


Night Road was an amazing story!  First we meet Lexi Baill whose was born to a heroin addicted mother and spent most of her young life in foster homes until they found her Aunt Eva.  She promises Eva that if she keeps her she won't regret it.  Lexi and her aunt develop a beautiful relationship although Eva knew nothing of raising kids, never had any of her own.   

On her first day of  high school, in her new home in Port George, Washington, she makes her first friend Mia Farraday, an outcast, like herself. Mia was the twin sister of Zach Farraday, a popular jock who dragged Mia along in order to try to help her fit in. Soon Lexi becomes just like a family member, they do everything together.  Jude Faraday, the mother of Zach and Mia becomes the mom Lexi never had.   

This book shows how teenagers push the envelope, learning responsibilities come with consequences and make a decision that changes all of their lives.   A family once so close now broken apart.  This story is heart wrenching and I challenge you to read it without a box of kleenex by your side.  The  characters were so real, you felt like you knew them personally.


Kristin Hannah stirs up so many emotions in this book, you won't be disappointed if you read it. I could easily see this book on the big screen someday.   
 

10th Anniversary by James Patterson

I just finished 10th Anniversary by James Patterson.  This book is the 10th in a series about the San Francisco Women's Murder Club.  This club is made up of a police detective, medical examiner, lawyer and reporter.   Finally Lindsay (police detective) is marrying the love of her life - Joe.  After taking some time off she comes back to work and her first case involves Avis Richardson, a 15 year old girl who is found on the side of the road by someone driving by wearing only a rain poncho and is severely bleeding, seems she recently gave birth, but can't seem to remember what happened and how she got there or where her baby is.  Lindsay has to figure out what happened and if the baby is still alive.

Yuki (lawyer) has to win a big case if she is ever going to get that promotion.  She is sure to win this one, Dr. Martin is charged with shooting and killing her husband.  All the evidence points to Dr. Martin, but then Lindsay gets involved in the case and many questions come up. Will Yuki win this case or is she charging an innocent woman?

Cindy (the reporter) is in love with Rich Conklin, Lindsay's partner.  Working as a crime reporter for the San Francisco Chronicle, she has to get a big break, it is a competitive career.  She gets the inside scoop on reports of women being found passed out near their homes with no recollection of how they got there or what happened to them in the hours before.  She tracks down a lead that could put her in a very dangerous position.

This book is full of twists and will keep you reading.  I could not put it down! If you are looking for a mystery novel full of suspense, I highly recommend 10th Anniversary by James Patterson.

 

Books

Welcome to Beach Reads a place to find book reviews.  I can't get enough of a good book and thought this would be a great way to share my love of books.  I will be posting reviews of new books and old favorites.  Hope this helps you find some books that you might enjoy.  Happy Reading!