Summertime is here with a beautiful collection of seven new books to read! This month, we’ve included a memoir on how to live a long life by a 102-year-old author, historical fiction by acclaimed Irish author Colm Toibin, a comedy by Kevin Kwan, a mystery thriller by Ruth Ware, and a history book from Victor Davis Hanson on four ancient civilizations. ENJOY!
The Well-Lived Life by Gladys McGarey | Memoir
Dr. Gladys McGarey, a centenarian grandmother and great-grandmother, tells a story that teaches as much as it inspires. The book is filled with life-changing secrets for living with joy, vitality, and purpose at any age. Dr. Gladys McGarey is the mother of holistic medicine, and at the age of 102, she is still sharing her wisdom.
Long Island by Colm Toibin | Historical Fiction
Long Island revisits Brooklyn, with Eilis Lacey in the same position of deciding between her husband, Tony, and the love of her life, Jim. This is a story of a woman alone in a marriage, the most profound bonds she rekindles on her return to Ireland, and the people she left behind. She finds the ways of living and loving she thought she’d lost.
One Perfect Couple by Ruth Ware | Suspense
One Perfect Couple is a spellbinding thriller inspired by reality TV and set on a deserted island. Not long after the five couples/contestants arrive, things start to go wrong. An overnight storm cuts them off from the mainland by miles of ocean. Deprived of their phones and unable to contact the crew that brought them there, the group must band together for survival.
Last House by Jessica Shattuck | Mystery
Last House spans multiple generations of one American family, sweeping through the 1960s to the near future, following how the oil business has influenced American policy. The story raises the timely and relevant question of how present generations perceive the consequences of the actions taken by those who came before them.
Lies and Weddings by Kevin Kwan | Comedy
Lies and Weddings is a hilarious, sophisticated, and thrillingly plotted story of love, money, murder, sex, and the lies we tell about them all. This globetrotting tale takes us from the black sand beaches of Hawaii to the skies of Marrakech, from the glitzy bachelor pads of Los Angeles to the inner sanctums of England’s oldest family estates.
The End of Everything by Victor Davis Hanson | History
The End of Everything tells how and why four civilizations perished: Thebes, Carthage, the Byzantines, and the Aztecs. Though much has changed over the millennia, human nature remains the same, and similar wars of obliteration are possible in our time. In light of that history, we can learn how to prevent it from happening to us.
Close to Death by Anthony Horowitz | Mystery/Crime
In Close to Death, Detective Hawthorne and Horowitz’s team is once again called upon to solve an unsolvable murder case when everyone is a suspect. It begins with a crazy murder in a posh neighborhood followed by a version of the ‘locked room’ mystery that brings the Agatha Christie-esque mysteries to contemporary London.
In Case You Missed It: Here’s Sandy’s summer reading list from June 2023
June is the time to stock up on new books for your vacation season. This month’s most anticipated titles include memoirs, historical fiction, and comedies. Whether you’re shopping for graduation gifts or just filling up a bag for the beach, there is a book on June’s List for you! Enjoy this fun and robust summer reading list!
Bad Summer People by Emma Rosenblum | Family Life Fiction
Bad Summer People is set on Fire Island, an affluent vacation community frequented by the wealthiest of NYC families. It begins with the discovery of a dead body. The complicated story lies under the surface of picture-perfect lives in a place where everyone has something to hide. The audiobook book is the perfect summer listen!
The Covenant of Water by Abraham Verghese | Fiction
The Covenant of Water is an epic saga in India that spans from 1900 to 1977. It follows three generations of a family that suffers from a curse: in every generation, one person dies by drowning. Through the study of medicine, that folklore moves into the realm of science and is explained and resolved. “The covenant of water: everyone is linked inescapably by acts of commission and omission, and no one stands alone.”
Scarlet by Genevieve Cogman | Historical Fiction
Scarlet reimagines Baroness Orczy’s The Scarlet Pimpernel during Revolutionary France with a feminist and supernatural twist. The Scarlet Pimpernel is a disguised British nobleman determined to rescue French aristocrats facing the guillotine. The French are being offered sanctuary by their aristocratic British kin, but these aristocrats are vampires! Adding vampires into the mix adds to this bloody adventure.
Killing Me by Michelle Gagnon | Comedy
Amber Jamison believes that she is smart and street savvy, so when she is stuffed inside a white van by a serial killer, she is more angry than scared. The next thing she knows, she is rescued but finds herself running across the country to escape her past and pairing up with an old partner who she cannot trust.
Yellowface by R.F. Kuang | Fictional Satire
Yellowface satirizes the publishing industry with a tale of a struggling writer. Early in the novel, a prominent Asian-American writer, Athena Liu, dies. Her white friend witnesses Athena’s accident, then seizes on the opportunity to pass off Athena’s words as her own. The story unravels the messiness of plagiarism, cultural appropriation, and the complexities of imperfect characters. The writing is smart, and the story is immersive.
Tell Me Everything by Minka Kelly | Memoir
Tell Me Everything is a story that can inspire anyone to whom life has been unfair. From a persistent, unpredictable childhood of neglect to Hollywood stardom, actress Minka Kelly heads straight toward Netflix’s “Friday Night Lights.”
Content warnings: this book contains topics covering child neglect/abuse, domestic violence, drug abuse/addiction, coercive sex work, dubious consent, revenge porn, cancer/terminal illness, and the loss of a parent.
Liar’s Beach by Katie Cotugno | Mystery
Liar’s Beach is reminiscent of Agatha Christie’s classic murder, The Mysterious Affair at Styles. Set in the summertime world of Martha’s Vineyard, an eighteen-year-old prep-school student is found lying facedown in the pool. Everyone has something to hide, and the place is full of liars. The accident is written off as just that—an accident—but then you begin to wonder if there’s a potential killer on the Vineyard.
In Case You Missed It: Here’s Sandy’s summer reading list from June 2022
Anna by Amy Odell | Biography
Anna is Anna Wintour, the most famous person in the fashion industry and one of the most powerful people in media today. Based on extensive interviews with Anna Wintour’s closest friends and collaborators, including some of the biggest names in fashion, journalist Amy Odell has crafted the most revealing portrait of Wintour ever published.
The Murder Rule by Dervla McTiernan | Mystery
The Murder Rule is a mother-daughter story—one running from a horrible truth and the other fighting to reveal it—that twists and turns in shocking ways. It was inspired by the true story of a young law student who worked at the “Innocence Project” and eventually uncovered the story that saved an innocent man on death row. But no one is innocent in this story.
Managing Expectations by Minnie Driver | Memoir
Managing Expectations reminds us of how life works out—even when it doesn’t. The book is written with razor-sharp humor and grace as it explores navigating the depths of failure, fighting for success, and discovering the unmatched wonder and challenge of motherhood. This memoir is effortlessly charming, deeply funny, personal, and honest,
This Time Tomorrow by Emma Straub | Time Travel Science Fiction
This Time Tomorrow delivers a different kind of love story about the lifelong relationship between a father and daughter. “What if you could go back in time to be with your elderly dying parent when they were young and healthy?” This book turns all the traditional time travel stories on their head with great humor, insight, and heart.
The Club by Ellery Lloyd | Murder Mystery
The Club is a slow-burn mystery that follows the fictional Home Group, a producer of exclusive celebrity clubs found worldwide. It is a dark, voyeuristic look at the underbelly of stardom today. Shady business practices, moral dilemmas, and a cast of characters who all have something to hide…but which one will kill to keep their secrets?
The Platinum Jubilee Cookbook by Ameer Kotecha | Nonfiction
Platinum Jubilee Cookbook features 70 recipes in full color from British embassies and recipes inspired by local influences from around the world. Many of these recipes have actually been served during royal visits to various nations. The book also includes a selection of anecdotes from diplomatic dinners over the last 70 years.
CLASSIC: Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen | Historical Fiction
Pride and Prejudice, written in 1813, opens with the saying, “a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife.” This novel tells the story of Mr. Bennet’s family of five unmarried daughters and their hope for a better marriage. It writes about universal problems in a way that is never moralizing but funny, ironic, and enlightening. A best seller for 200 years!
The first film adaptation of Pride and Prejudice was in 1938, and the latest movie was released in 2020.
In Case You Missed It: Here’s Sandy’s summer reading list from June 2019!
The author L.M. Montgomery is credited with asking, “I wonder what it would be like to live in a world where it was always June,” which is precisely what you will feel when you make your June reading list. Many of these titles offer tales of summer, provocative mysteries, and lots of adventure, so even if you don’t have a lot of travel to do this month, you’ll visit many new places all the same!
Mistress of the Ritz by Melanie Benjamin
Based on actual events, Mistress of the Ritz is the story of an American woman who secretly worked for the French Resistance while playing hostess to the invading Germans at the iconic Ritz Hotel in Paris. The book’s famous setting and the famous people from the past make it a captivating suspense novel and give a different aspect to surviving WWII.
Park Avenue Summer by Renee Rosen
Park Avenue Summer is a delightful summer cocktail of a read! This fictionalized account of the first issues of Helen Gurley Brown’s Cosmopolitan Magazine is meant to entertain and intrigue. Read the Author’s End Notes to see how much of HGB that was portrayed is really true!
The Last Time I Saw You by Liv Constantine
The Last Time I Saw You is filled with shocking twists and turns about the aftermath of a brutal high-society murder. Everyone is a suspect! Clues are cleverly and carefully planted all along the way, but no one will truly understand what is happening until the final reveal.
Wild Horses of Summer Sun: Memoir of Iceland by Tory Bilski
This remarkable memoir is filled with the adventures of American women who travel to a farm in northern Iceland every June to ride Icelandic horses. In a beautiful, illustrative writing style, stories are told of their friendships with each other and their passion for Icelandic horses.
No Visible Bruises by Rachel Snyder
No Visible Bruises is an extraordinary book that explores the dark corners of intimate violence and the far-reaching consequences of domestic terrorism on our society. This well-written book provides ten years of research showing the critical need to change our attitudes and laws.
The Naked Truth by Leslie Morgan Steiner
Turning fifty, reeling from divorce, and determined to reclaim her life, this mom dedicates a year to search for five new lovers. Seeking the rapture absent from her life of minivans and mom- jeans, she finds a profound new sense of self-worth. Rare, unexpected, and wildly entertaining!
Such a Perfect Wife by Kate White
Such a Perfect Wife is a fast-paced murder mystery with a true-crime writer who digs into the story and discovers the stunning and terrifying truth. This is a truly new spin on the classic woman-gone-missing tale that is a refreshingly original twist to an unforgettable conclusion.
If you are an Amazon Prime member, you get a free Prime Read each month. Right now, our favorite is Las Vegas Girl: A completely gripping, heart-stopping crime thriller by Leslie Wolfe.
Read Next:
Books by Women Authors that All Women Should Read
