My August Books

I had another great month of reading!  I am trying to soak up every last summer day that I can and have been enjoying some great beach reads as well as a little bit of non-fiction and historical fiction too.



1.  Dear Bob and Sue by Matt and Karen Smith-- Written as a series of letters, I just loved this couple's journey through all the National Parks.  Not written as a park guide but as a quirky and often funny rendition of their desire to visit all the national parks in one year.



2.  Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd-- A touching coming of age story about a young girl Lily who runs away with her nanny-of- sorts Rosaleen to a bee keeping farm run by three black sisters.  Set at a time of great racial turbulence in the south the book was quite compelling.  If you liked Where the Crawdads Sing you'll like this book too.



3.  Ladies of the Lake by Haywood Smith--  Dahlia and her three sisters Violet, Iris, and Rose all inherit their grandmother's lake house estate with the stipulation that they must live there together for the whole summer (without their families) before selling it.  They spend the time cleaning out, reminiscing, and learning even more about their family's past.



4.  Window on the Bay by Debbie Macomber-- Jenna and Maureen  have been best friends for years supporting each other through college, marriage, divorce, single motherhood and now embark together on embracing life after their kids move out.  Dealing with empty nests, trying to head into the dating scene, and planning a trip to Paris they rely on one another more than ever for their love and friendship.



5.  The Friends We Keep by Jane Green--  three housemates from England who are thick as thieves in college drift apart as life, distance, and circumstances pull them away from one another.  They re-unite at their 30th class reunion and while they instantly seem to pick up where they left off secrets fester under the surface that threaten to break them all up for good.  This book reminded me a lot of the book I read last month with the same title.



6.  The Lost Girls of Paris by Pan Jenoff-- When Grace finds an abandoned suitcase in NYC Grand Central Station one morning she opens it to find a packet of photos. Told from multiple viewpoints this book was all about a network of female secret agents working in Paris during WWII.



7.  On Folly Beach by Karen White-- When Emmy's husband dies her mother encourages her to buy an old bookstore in Folly Beach called Folly's Finds.  But the purchase requires Emmy to let Lulu (the old bookkeepers eccentric, elderly sister) to continue selling bottle trees from the backyard.  As Emmy finds some old letters and begins to uncover family secrets about Lulu the two women find they have more in common than they ever thought possible.  I didn't know from reading the flap that this book would also deal with spy rings and WWII!  I learned quite a bit that I did not know about WWII.



8.  Lost and Found by Danielle Steel-- When Maddie falls from the top of a ladder while sorting through an old closet full of memories late one night she injures her foot & it starts her on a journey of self- discovery.  Spurned on by her memories and questions about some of the choices she's made in her life, Maddie begins a cross country journey to visit past loves and discovers more than she ever though possible.


9.  Under the Table by Stephanie Evanovich-- Zoey is in NYC trying to start up a new catering business and trying out a year long separation from her husband-- one that she didn't want but her sister and husband talked her into.  Zoey is pretty certain that her divorce would have been final by now and she's rather sick of dealing with her estranged husband when she caters a dinner for Tristan she finds she just can not stop thinking about him.  This book was total chick lit and fairly predictable but I did enjoy it.  I wanted something sweet and mindless after reading The Lost Girls of Paris and this fit the bill perfectly!



Comments

  1. WOW, you've been busy reading! Thanks so much for linking up at the #UnlimitedMonthlyLinkParty 4. Shared.

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  2. Love to peek behind the scenes to see what others are reading. Of the books you read, I've read "Secret Life of Bees" and Loved it! You sure are a voracious reader. Go girl go. This past month, I've read plant-based cookbooks, done research using Ocean Robbins new book "31 Day Food Revolution," and started "Less." It's a satirical comedy novel by American author Andrew Sean Greer first published in 2017. It follows gay writer Arthur Less while he travels the world on a literary tour, as his fiftieth birthday looms. The book covers themes such as romantic love, relationships, aging, and travel. Have a good weekend and see my post at #UnlimitedMontlyLinkParty4

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  3. It is great to have time to read. I really miss that, but always have so long to-do list on short time.

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    1. I fully admit that my to do list often gets overlooked when there's a good book around.

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  4. Replies
    1. That's pretty unusual! Often we at least have a little overlap in books.

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  5. Sue Monk Kidds's writing leaves me speechless. Guess it's time for a re-read of that book.

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    1. I had never read any of her work before but really enjoyed it!

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  6. I always love a good book list :)

    I've yet to read The Secret Life of Bees (or Where the Crawdads Sing -- I KNOW!) But both sound good! And that first one about the national parks sounds sweet!

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    1. It was really sweet; and so funny at times! I love reading about other people and their travels.

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  7. Secret Life of Bees sounds good and I did love Where the Crawdads Sing so I'll add that one to my list now!

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  8. Great list; I've read some on this list, but found two that I'd like to read: Dear Bob and Sue (we are campers) and On Folly Beach (I love Folly). Thanks.

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