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Summer Reading 2014

Summer Reading

Summer Reading 2014

Summer is here! At Bookreporter.com, this means it's time for us to share some great summer book picks with our Summer Reading Feature. While our series of 24-hour contests have ended, we encourage you to take a look at our featured titles for some sizzling summer reading ideas.

- Click here to see the Summer Reading 2014 Contest winners.
 

All Good Things From Paris to Tahiti: Life and Longing by Sarah Turnbull - Memoir

 

A decade prior, Australian native Sarah Turnbull had found a new life (and love) in Paris, a story chronicled in her bestselling memoir ALMOST FRENCH. So when her husband, Frédéric, is offered a position in tropical Tahiti, she is initially hesitant to leave her new Parisian life. But as the idea of life on a tropical island begins to fill her thoughts, she finds herself longing for her next big adventure. In this lushly written memoir, Turnbull explores a new paradise: Tahiti.

All Those Vanished Engines by Paul Park - Fiction

 

In ALL THOSE VANISHED ENGINES, Paul Park returns to science fiction after a decade spent on the impressive four-volume A PRINCESS OF ROUMANIA fantasy, with an extraordinary, intense, compressed SF novel in three parts, each set in its own alternate-history universe. The sections are all rooted in Virginia and the Battle of the Crater, and are also grounded in the real history of the Park family, from differing points of view. They are all gorgeously imaginative and carefully constructed, and reverberate richly with one another.

The Art of Arranging Flowers by Lynne Branard - Fiction

 

Gifted florist Ruby Jewell is still reeling from a personal tragedy, and it will take an invitation from a man who’s flown to the moon, the arrival of a unique little boy and concern from a charming veterinarian to reawaken her wounded spirit.

The Astronaut Wives Club by Lily Koppel - Social History


The American astronauts have been the subject of many books and movies. For their dedication and bravery, they earned a well-deserved place in American history. As the men blasted off into space, left back on terra firma were the wives who kept the homes running and the children cared for. This is a fly-on-the wall look at the lives of those astronaut wives, who became celebrities because of their spouses.

Big Little Lies by Liane Moriarty - Fiction


A murder, a tragic accident, or just parents behaving badly? What’s indisputable is that somebody is dead. BIG LITTLE LIES follows Madeline, a funny and biting divorcee; Celeste, the beautiful mother of rambunctious twin boys; and Jane, a young single mother with doubts about her son. When Madeline and Celeste take Jane under their wing, no one realizes how she and her little boy will affect them all.

Charleston by Margaret Bradham Thornton - Fiction


Eliza Poinsett, an art historian in London with a charming Etonian boyfriend who adores her, is unnerved when she runs into Henry, her childhood love, at a wedding in the English countryside. Her carefully guarded equilibrium is shattered when she meets Henry again in Charleston, where she has come for her stepsister’s debut. Eliza has to decide if she is willing to risk everything for which she has worked so hard to be with the only man she has ever truly loved.

China Dolls by Lisa See - Historical Fiction


Grace, Helen and Ruby, three young women from very different backgrounds, meet by chance at the exclusive and glamorous Forbidden City nightclub in 1938 San Francisco. They become fast friends, relying on one another through unexpected challenges and shifting fortunes. But after the Japanese attack Pearl Harbor, paranoia and suspicion threaten to destroy their lives, and a shocking act of betrayal changes everything.

Claire of the Sea Light by Edwidge Danticat - Fiction

 

Edwidge Danticat’s first work of fiction since 2004’s THE DEW BREAKER is comprised of eight interlocking stories set in early 21st-century Haiti. The tales revolve around a seven-year-old girl named Claire, whose mother died in childbirth and whose father, a fisherman, now wants to give her away so that she will have a better life. CLAIRE OF THE SEA LIGHT is a riveting portrait of Haitian villagers and is told in Danticat’s lyrical prose.

Close Your Eyes, Hold Hands by Chris Bohjalian - Fiction

When Emily Shepard’s parents are killed in a nuclear plant meltdown that may have been her father’s fault, she leaves her home in Vermont’s Northeast Kingdom rather than face the danger of being the daughter of the most hated man in America. She takes off for Burlington, where she creates an identity inspired by Emily Dickinson. When she befriends a homeless boy named Cameron, she protects him with a ferocity she didn’t know she had. But she still can’t outrun her past or escape her grief forever.

The Cursed by Heather Graham - Fiction

 

Hannah O’Brien, who grew up in the house and now runs it as a B and B, has always had a special ability to see a pair of resident ghosts. But when a man is murdered in the alley behind her place, she’s dismayed when his spirit appears, too, asking for help.

Fair Play by Deeanne Gist - Historical Romance


Saddled with a man’s name, the captivating Billy Jack Tate makes no apologies for taking on a man’s profession. As a doctor at the 1893 Chicago World’s Fair, she is one step closer to having her very own medical practice --- until Hunter Scott asks her to give it all up to become his wife. Will Billy exchange her doctor’s shingle for the domesticated role of a southern wife, or will Hunter abandon the wide open spaces of home for a life in the “gray city”?

The Family Beach House by Holly Chamberlin - Fiction

 

Faced with losing that inheritance, Tilda and all the McQueens must reconcile their past, confront their futures --- and learn how to love one another even when it means forging a life apart.

Flying Shoes by Lisa Howorth - Fiction

 

With a flamboyant cast, splendid dark humor, a potent sense of history, and a shocking true story at its heart, FLYING SHOES is a rich and candid novel from a fresh new voice about family and memory and one woman’s flight from a wounded past.

The Fortune Hunter by Daisy Goodwin - Historical Fiction

A clever, plainspoken heiress whose money gives her a choice among suitors, Charlotte Baird falls in love with Captain Bay Middleton, the first man to really notice her. When Empress Elizabeth of Austria joins the legendary hunt organized by Earl Spencer in England, Bay is asked to guide her on the treacherous course. Their shared passion for riding leads to an infatuation that jeopardizes the growing bond between Bay and Charlotte, and threatens all of their futures.

The Glass Kitchen by Linda Francis Lee - Fiction


After a string of betrayals and the loss of her legacy, Portia Cuthcart is determined to start a new life with her sisters in Manhattan…and never cook again. But when Portia moves into a dilapidated brownstone on the Upper West Side, she meets 12-year-old Ariel and her widowed father, Gabriel. Soon, a promise made to her sisters forces Portia back into a world of magical food and swirling emotions, where she must confront everything she has been running from.

Good As Gone by Douglas Corleone - Thriller


Former U.S. Marshal Simon Fisk works to track down and recover children who were kidnapped by their own estranged parents. However, haunted by the disappearance of his own daughter years ago, he won’t touch stranger abduction cases. Until, that is, six-year-old Lindsay Sorkin disappears, and the French police deliver Simon an ultimatum: he can spend years in a French jail for his actions during a past case, or he can work with them now to find Lindsay.

The Good Girl by Mary Kubica - Psychological Thriller

Mia Dennett is abducted one night by an enigmatic stranger named Colin Thatcher, whose job was to kidnap Mia as part of a wild extortion plot and deliver her to his employers. But the plan takes an unexpected turn when Colin suddenly decides to hide Mia in a secluded cabin. Mia's mother and detective Gabe Hoffman will stop at nothing to find them, but no one could have predicted the emotional entanglements that eventually cause this family's world to shatter.

Guests on Earth by Lee Smith - Historical Fiction


It’s 1936 when orphaned 13-year-old Evalina Toussaint is admitted to Highland Hospital, a mental institution in Asheville, North Carolina, known for its innovative treatments for nervous disorders and addictions. Taken under the wing of the hospital’s most notable patient, Zelda Fitzgerald, Evalina witnesses cascading events that lead up to the tragic fire of 1948 that killed nine women in a locked ward, Zelda among them.

Headhunters on My Doorstep: A True Treasure Island Ghost Story by J. Maarten Troost - Literary/Adventure Memoir


HEADHUNTERS ON MY DOORSTEP chronicles J. Maarten Troost’s return to the South Pacific after his struggle with alcoholism left him numb to life. Deciding to retrace the path once traveled by the author of TREASURE ISLAND, Troost follows Robert Louis Stevenson to the Marquesas, the Tuamotus, Tahiti, Kiribati and Samoa, tumbling from one comic misadventure to another.

The Hidden Child by Camilla Lackberg - Psychological Thriller


Crime writer Erica Falck is shocked to discover a Nazi medal among her late mother’s possessions. To uncover her family's past, Erica must read her mother’s wartime diaries. Could what little knowledge she has be enough to endanger her husband and newborn baby? The dark past is coming to light, and no one will escape the truth of how they came to be.

The Idea of Him by Holly Peterson - Fiction


Allie Crawford has the life she always dreamed of. But when she finds her husband locked in their laundry room with a stunning blonde, a scandal ensues that flips her life on its head. And when the woman wants to befriend Allie, an old flame calls, and a new guy gets a little too close for comfort, she starts to think her marriage is more of a facade than something real. Maybe she's fallen in love not with Wade, but with the idea of him.

Lay It on My Heart by Angela Pneuman - Fiction


Charmaine Peake's prophet father has been committed to a psychiatric institution. Her mother, forced to rent out their house and move them down to a trailer on the river, won't stop telling Charmaine things she doesn't want to hear. A sanctimonious missionary kid has taken over her real bedroom, where Charmaine discovers his stash of strange and questionable photos. She is being tested at every turn: Where will her choices take her? And her faith?

Lookaway, Lookaway by Wilton Barnhardt - Fiction


Jerene Jarvis Johnston and her husband, Duke, are exemplars of Charlotte, North Carolina’s high society, where old Southern money --- and older Southern secrets --- meet the new wealth of bankers, boom-era speculators, and carpetbagging social climbers. Jerene must prove tireless in preserving the family's legacy, Duke’s fragile honor, and what's left of the dwindling family fortune. But is it too much to ask for one ounce of cooperation from her heedless family?

The Major's Daughter by J.P. Francis - Fiction

 

April, 1944. The quiet rural village of Stark, New Hampshire is irrevocably changed by the arrival of 150 German prisoners of war. And one family, unexpectedly divided, must choose between love and country. Inspired by the little-known existence of a real World War II POW camp, THE MAJOR'S DAUGHTER is a stirring tale and a fresh take on the timeless theme of forbidden love.

My Accidental Jihad: A Love Story by Krista Bremer - Memoir


Fifteen years ago, Krista Bremer would not have been able to imagine her life today: married to a Libyan-born Muslim, raising two children with Arabic names in the American South. Nor could she have imagined the prejudice she would encounter or the profound ways her marriage would change her perception of the world. MY ACCIDENTAL JIHAD explores what it means to open our hearts to another culture and to embrace our own.

No River Too Wide by Emilie Richards - Fiction


On the night her home is consumed by fire, Janine Stoddard finally resolves to leave her abusive husband. While she is reluctant to involve her estranged daughter, she can't resist a chance to see Harmony and baby Lottie before she disappears forever. Harmony's friend, Taylor Martin, opens her home to Jan, even as she's opening her heart to another newcomer, Adam Pryor. But enigmatic Adam has a secret that could destroy Taylor's trust…and cost Jan her hard-won freedom.

The Paris Architect by Charles Belfoure - Historical Thriller


In 1942 Paris, gifted architect Lucien Bernard accepts a commission that will bring him a great deal of money --- and maybe get him killed. All he has to do is design a secret hiding place for a wealthy Jewish man, a space so invisible that even the most determined German officer won't find it. But when one of his hiding spaces fails horribly, and the problem of where to hide a Jew becomes terribly personal, Lucien can no longer ignore what's at stake.

Since You've Been Gone by Anouska Knight - Fiction

 

In one tragic moment, Holly Jefferson's life as she knew it changed forever. Now --- to the external world, at least --- she's finally getting back on her feet, running her bakery, Cake. But inside, she's still going through the motions befitting a twenty-seven-year-old widow. Then she meets Ciaran Argyll. Will Holly find the missing ingredient that allows her to live again --- and embrace an unknown and unexpected tomorrow? 

Someone Else's Love Story by Joshilyn Jackson - Romance


In this delightful and nuanced tale, young single mom Shandi Pierce stumbles into the middle of a mini-mart robbery. Although her main concern is for her three-year-old son, Natty, the actions of a stranger named William Ashe cause her to plunge irrevocably in love with him. Considering that Shandi has issues with her parents and with circumstances surrounding the birth of Natty, and that William has considerable baggage of his own, the hopeful romantic is in for quite the ride.

The Stories We Tell by Patti Callahan Henry - Fiction


Eve and Teddy Morrison are Savannah’s power couple, but things aren’t as good as they look. Their teenage daughter, Gwen, is rebelling, and Cooper is blaming this on Eve’s preoccupation with work. The Morrison marriage is taut with tension, but when Cooper is involved in a car accident with Eve’s sister, Willa, the questions surrounding the event bring the family close to breaking point. Sifting between the stories, Eve has to find out what really happened --- and just who she believes.

Summer Days by Lisa Jackson, Elizabeth Bass, Mary Carter, and Holly Chamberlin - Romance


Join Lisa Jackson, Elizabeth Bass, Mary Carter and Holly Chamberlin for stories that will get you in the mood for summer --- and romance. It's all about sun-filled days, warm nights, and the sweet expectation that comes with finding --- or rediscovering --- love.

The Supreme Macaroni Company by Adriana Trigiani - Fiction


In this conclusion to Adriana Trigiani's Valentine trilogy, Valentine Roncalli is marrying Gianluca Vechiarelli, the love of her life. However, she hasn't truly considered the cultural and age differences between an American businesswoman and a native Italian who's 18 years her senior. The repercussions lead to a rollercoaster love story with a powerful emotional payoff.

Tangled: The Tangled Series by Emma Chase - Romance

 

TANGLED is not your mother’s romance novel. It is an outrageous, passionate, witty narrative about a man who knows a lot about women…just not as much as he thinks. As he tells his story, Drew learns that the one thing he never wanted in life, is the only thing he can’t live without.

Twisted: The Tangled Series by Emma Chase - Romance
 
In this heart-pounding follow-up to TANGLED by New York Times bestseller Emma Chase, Kate reveals that there is trouble in paradise, when unexpected circumstances force her and Drew to “renegotiate” their relationship. Includes a bonus short story, Holy Frigging Matrimony!
Tamed: The Tangled Series by Emma Chase - Romance


In the third unforgettable book by New York Times bestselling author Emma Chase, Matthew Fisher --- the best friend of Drew Evans from TANGLED and TWISTED --- wants to settle down, but he’ll have to overcome the mistrust of the vividly unique Dee Dee Warren.

Terminal City by Linda Fairstein - Mystery/Thriller


When the body of a young woman is found in the tower suite of the Waldorf Astoria --- one of the most prestigious hotels in Manhattan --- Assistant DA Alex Cooper and Detectives Mike Chapman and Mercer Wallace find themselves hunting for an elusive killer whose only signature is carving a carefully drawn symbol into his victims’ bodies, a symbol that bears a striking resemblance to train tracks.

That Night by Chevy Stevens - Psychological Thriller


Toni Murphy was 18 when she and her boyfriend, Ryan, were wrongly convicted of the murder of her younger sister. Now she is 34 and back in her hometown, working every day to forge and adjust to a new life on the outside. She's doing everything in her power to avoid violating her parole and going back to prison. But nothing is making that easy. Before Toni can truly move on, she must risk everything to find out the truth and clear her name.

The Third Son by Julie Wu - Historical Fiction

 

In the middle of a terrifying air raid in Japanese-occupied Taiwan, Saburo, the least-favored son of a Taiwanese politician, runs through a forest for cover. It’s there he stumbles on Yoshiko. Meeting her is a moment he will remember forever, and for years he will try to find her again. When he finally does, she is by the side of his oldest brother and greatest rival.

The Traitor's Wife by Allison Pataki - Fiction

 

A riveting historical novel about Peggy Shippen Arnold, the cunning wife of Benedict Arnold and mastermind behind America’s most infamous act of treason, THE TRAITOR'S WIFE is told from the perspective of Peggy’s maid, whose faith in the new nation inspires her to intervene in her mistress’s affairs even when it could cost her everything.

The Truth About the Harry Quebert Affair by Joël Dicker - Literary Thriller


THE TRUTH ABOUT THE HARRY QUEBERT AFFAIR is the #1 internationally bestselling thriller, and ingenious book within a book, about the disappearance of a 15-year-old New Hampshire girl and, 33 years later, a young American writer’s determination to clear his mentor’s name --- and find the inspiration for his next bestseller.

We Are All Completely Beside Ourselves by Karen Joy Fowler - Fiction


Rosemary Cooke was not yet six when her sister, Fern, was removed. Over the years, she has managed to block a lot of memories. With some guile, she guides us through the darkness, penetrating secrets and unearthing memories, leading us deeper into the mystery she has dangled before us from the start. Stripping off the protective masks that have hidden truths too painful to acknowledge, in the end, “Rosemary” truly is for remembrance.
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