Hi. Happy June. Summer seems almost in full swing now even though it doesn’t officially start for a couple more weeks. It’s high pollen season here, and there’s quite a bit of yellow dust on the deck and walkways. But the lilacs are out, and our dog Willow likes having her picture taken near them.
Meanwhile, it’s been busy. We’ve had company come through town, a couple job projects to finish, and soon we’ll be going on vacation in a couple weeks back East. We’ll be staying at a cottage in the Thousand Islands area along the St. Lawrence River, near where my husband grew up, so it’ll be a bit like old times before the pandemic.
Hopefully it’ll be just the place for summer reading. I’m not exactly sure how I picked my list this year, but it includes books that either came out earlier this year, or are due out this summer. Some are books I’ve mentioned before on the blog and haven’t gotten to yet, and a few others are novels that I have advanced readers copies of, while others are just ones that seem interesting to me. I don’t think I picked many thrillers this year because I decided I usually don’t like them as much as I want to. But I tried to weave in a few lighter ones with the deeper ones to make an enticing mix. See what you think.
The Swimmers by Julie Otsuka / Feb. 22 / Knopf / 192 pages
From the award-winning author of The Buddha in the Attic comes a novel about what happens to a group of obsessed recreational swimmers when a crack appears at the bottom of their local pool.
Why I want to read it: This author is said to be top-notch, and it sounds poignant about an older woman swimmer who’s slowly losing her memory.
Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus / April 5 / Doubleday /400 pages
Meet Elizabeth Zott: a one-of-a-kind scientist in 1960s California whose career takes a detour when she becomes the unlikely star of a beloved TV cooking show.
Why I want to read it: it’s been hugely popular and I’m hoping it’s a fun story.
Trust by Hernan Diaz / May 3 / Riverhead / 416 pages
“A genre-bending, time-skipping story about New York City’s elite in the roaring ’20s and Great Depression.” – Vanity Fair /
Why I want to read it: The structure of this novel seems interesting and is said to make the story seem like a puzzle to solve.
River of the Gods: Genius, Courage, and Betrayal in the Search for the Source of the Nile by Candice Millard / May 17 / Doubleday / 368 pages
The harrowing story of one of the great feats of exploration of all time and its complicated legacy.
Why I want to read it: This was an epic undertaking to try to find the source of the Nile, and Richard Burton was said to be one of the best explorers ever.
The Lunar Housewife by Caroline Woods /June 14 /Doubleday / 320 pages
A stylish and suspenseful historical page-turner set in the 1950s that follows an up-and-coming journalist who stumbles onto a web of secrets, deceptions, and mysteries at a popular new literary magazine.
Why I want to read it: This novel seems to have some Cold War intrigue about it.
Winter Work by Dan Fesperman /July 12 / Knopf /352 pages
An exhilarating spy thriller inspired by a true story about the precious secrets up for grabs just after the fall of the Berlin Wall.
Why I want to read it: I’m liking the spy and Cold War stuff these days.
The Daughter of Doctor Moreau by Silvia Moreno-Garcia /Del Rey/July 19
From the New York Times bestselling author of Mexican Gothic comes a dreamy reimagining of The Island of Doctor Moreau set against the backdrop of nineteenth-century Mexico.
Why I want to read it: I remember the 1977 movie of this and it was spooky.
On Java Road by Lawrence Osborne / Hogarth / Aug. 2 / 256 pages
A veteran British journalist living in Hong Kong investigates the disappearance of a student protester during the 2019 uprisings in this atmospheric novel.
Why I want to read it: The author is said to be a good writer and the subject seems intriguing.
Cyclorama by Adam Langer / Bloomsbury / Aug. 2 / 352 pages
The deeply moving, propulsive story of ten teenagers in 1982 brought together by a high school production of The Diary of Anne Frank that will shape and influence the rest of their lives, jumping forward to 2016.
Why I want to read it: The Diary of Anne Frank left a mark on me as well.
Carrie Soto Is Back by Taylor Jenkins Reid / Ballantine / Aug. 30
In this powerful novel about the cost of greatness, a legendary pro tennis player attempts a comeback in 1994 when the world considers her past her prime.
Why I want to read it: I’m a tennis fan who has played the sport all my life so this premise is up my alley.
That’s all for now. What about you — have you read any of these, or do you have any of them on your radar? And do you have a summer list?
Great mix here! I loved Swimmers and Lessons in chemistry and have Trust on my list as well. I agree that as of late I find myself disappointed with some thrillers. I do like to mix it up. Have a great vacation and happy reading.
Thanks Diane. Your feedback & reviews always help me make up my lists. I’ve really pulled back from thrillers lately. I hope this list will be a good mix. I’m looking forward to our trip. Have a great weekend.
Cute Willow. Have a safe and nice trip! From your list I would choose Trust, River of the Gods, and Carrie Soto is Back. I already considered reading Trust, but my plate is full. I read The Daughter of Doctor Moreau and gave it 5*; it blew me away. Happy reading!
Wow Carmen – that’s good to know about the Doc Moreau book. I’m looking forward to it. Great to get your reaction to it. I hope these other ones are all right too. And thanks our trip should be a nice one. We have about 2 weeks before we leave but it’s busy finishing other things. Keep me posted on your reads. Cheers.
Fun summer reading list Susan.
I am adding a few of these to my list now too. Notably- Lessons in Chemistry, Trust and maybe The Lunar Housewife. My current fav read is the Thursday Murder Club books by Richard Osman – lught and laugh out loud funny.
Have a fun summer trip and be sure to come stay with me if coming through Winnipeg!
Hey Liz, Wow great to hear from you here. So glad you are weighing in on these and giving me a rec on the Osman books. I will check them out. Much to read. We are looking forward to our trip to Ontario. I hope your summer is going to be excellent with your cottage. Seems fun. Keep in touch and happy reading!
I think you chose an excellent mix of books. I especially recommend Lessons in Chemistry. I hope to read River of the Gods also, but I honestly think I’m trying to read too much this summer.
So glad you will get to go on vacation this summer.
Thanks Deb. I’m glad you liked the Lessons novel which bodes well for me. I like books on an array of topics so I hope this list works. Perhaps I’ll focus on these 10 over the months ahead so it doesn’t get too overwhelming. I’m sure your list is longer. I’ll pop by to see what you’re reading now. Have a great weekend.
I have a huge stack at my house but I chose to only bring Montana-ish books along with me on the trip.
Yeah good idea. I look forward to hearing about your trip. Have you ever read any of Ivan Doig’s novels? cheers.
No, I haven’t, Susan, but now I’ve added a couple of them to my list of Montana books. I wonder which ones are the best.
That’s an exciting line-up of books. I don’t really plan my own reading that much in advance and tend to just read whatever grabs my attention at the moment, but I am quite sure I’ll be reading some of these.
Great Dorothy, I’m always curious of your reactions on books. With summer reads I’m a bit all over the place. Happy reading!
Oooh, look at those gorgeous lilacs! I’ll bet they smell wonderful. Still raining here. I think summer came and went on Wednesday when we were able to wash both cars. Sigh.
Your trip to the Thousand Islands sounds delightful! I’ve never heard of that area, and was born in Ottawa, but moved when I was just a toddler.
Your summer reading looks like a good mix. I’m eager to hear your thoughts on Lessons in Chemistry (the only book in the mix that I’ve read). I don’t have Swimmers on my list, but it’s calling to me!
Hi Lesley, big rains are supposed to hit here this week … there’s actually a weather advisory … like it might flood. Hmm. Has the sun come out at your cove?
We are flying into Ottawa to get to the Thousand Islands – just a couple hours south of there I think. It is an interesting area … much to see!
And yeah the Swimmers premise sounds a bit weird but I’m curious too. I hope I can get to all of these but we’ll see if time permits this summer. I hope to visit your site soon. Have a great week.
Willow sure looks relaxed and happy in that photo! And it looks like you’ve got a nice mix of books for your summer reading pleasure. Hope your vacation is awesome! 😀
Thanks Lark. It should be a fun trip. And these books will keep me preoccupied. Willow will be with her dog sitter for a week but hopefully it’ll go fine. Have a great week.
That’s a fantastic list! Beautiful Willow with the lilacs as well. Awww.
I have Silvia Moreno-Garcia’s book on my list since it came out. Good luck and I hope you enjoy your vacation. I look forward to hearing about it and a pic or two!
Thanks Heather. My list is always a work in progress, ha. I’m hearing good things about the Doctor Moreau novel! Hope you get to it too. Happy summer!
Swimmers and Lessons in Chemistry are both on my TBR list. But, the others look good as well. I love the photo of Willow and the lilac!
Thanks Helen. So many lilac bushes here in town. Smells nice. Willow is having a ball (literally). I look forward to your thoughts on those two books. Happy reading!
The Swimmers is on my radar!
Great Harvee. I think the premise of the Swimmers seems quite interesting. We will see how it turns out. Have a great week.
So many of these books look good to me! I recently finished Lessons in Chemistry and, while I enjoyed it, it certainly wasn’t as light or funny as I was expecting. The audio grated on my nerves… it included some of the worst mispronunciations I have ever encountered. I ended up switching entirely to print.
Oh thanks JoAnn, good to know. I have the print copy of Lessons in Chemistry so I will go from there. I will downplay my expectations of it being light & funny. I guess reactions to it are a bit mixed now – though it was popular earlier Hmm.
Hope all is well there. Happy summer to you.
Silvia Moreno-Garcia has written quite a few books; I’ve only read one of them, Mexican Gothic. Although I’m not usually a fan of horror stories, I found it very intresting and readable.
I liked The Swimmers, though I liked The Buddha in the Attic better.
sound like a good list… mae at maefood.blgospot.com
Thanks Mae for stopping by & weighing in. Glad to hear you liked the Swimmers & Mexican Gothic. From what I’m hearing her Dr. Moreau novel might even be better, so I can’t wait. Happy summer to you. I hope to stop by your site soon.
Love the picture of your dog! Lessons in Chemistry sounds fun, and Cyclorama sounds interesting. I read Anne Frank’s Diary multiple times as a teen and even visited the Annex many years ago. The premise of that book is intriguing.
Thanks Jane. Good to hear from you. Yeah the premise of Cyclorama caught my eye. Anne Frank’s Diary made a big impact on me – so I’m curious about this novel. I’ll let you know. Hope all is well in Colorado. Happy summer.
Happy Belated Anniversary! June 12 is also my mom’s birthday.
Love the photo, glad you didn’t have any run in’s with a bear! I hope you have a great time in Ontario. I love that you’re going bike riding, it’s one of my favorite things to do.
All 3 of those authors are new to me except Otsuka. I’m listening to The Swimmers now, only 2 hours left to go.
I hope you have a great weekend!
Hi Vicki, thanks for stopping by & for the anniversary wishes. June 12 is a lucky day! I’ll be curious to see what you think of The Swimmers.
Keep you posted on our trip. take care, & enjoy your FLA days!
Some great summer book selections here. Thanks.. Enjoy your vacation!
Thanks Judee for stopping by. Much to read this summer and I’m off to a slow-ish start. I hope you are well. Happy summer!