Wherever Summer Takes You...

bring a book along! And since I’ve read a few interesting, thrilling, beautifully-written, or thought-provoking books lately, I thought I’d use May’s blog to recommend a few of those. Thus, a possible reading list…

Romantasy: The Raven Scholar by Antonia Hodgson is a new member of the ‘academic fantasy’ genre. Clever, so well-constructed, filled with intrigue, twists, heroes and villains and the magnificent Raven (who speaks in first-person plural). If this is your fave genre, do read it. Warning: it’s the first in a trilogy, so expect a wait before the next installment releases!

Non-fiction: If you know me at all, you know I rarely read non-fiction, so for me to recommend one is a rare treat. Alive Day by Karie Fugett immediately grabbed my attention and refused to let go. This true account of a young Marine wife, her husband who is wounded in the Middle East war, and their harrowing journey through treatment, addiction, and despair simply touched a nerve. This is Fugett’s first work, which I read as an ARC. Look for it.

Literary Fiction: The American Daughters by Maurice Carlos Ruffin follows his We Cast A Shadow, which was nominated for a variety of awards, including the Dayton Literary Peace Prize. It is historical fiction with an incredible conceit, which I won’t reveal because it would spoil the reading! Daughters is the story of Black women in New Orleans prior to the Civil War, their activities as spies and spoilers of plans to disrupt the Union.

Mystery: Spirit Crossing by William Kent Krueger is the latest (until the next one comes out this summer!) in the Corcoran O’Connor mystery series set in Minnesota near the Boundary Waters and the Anishinaabeg Reservation. Complex characters, spiritual components, a respectful examination of Native American values and issues, the novel delivers on multiple themes. A friend tuned me in to this series and I can’t get enough of the characters, mysteries, and the deeply satisfying settings.

Political: On Tyranny: Twenty Lessons from the Twentieth Century by Timothy Snyder. The title says it all.

Romance: Breakfast With A Billionaire by Keely Stephens…a satisfying, steamy, enemies to lovers read perfect for the porch or the beach! (Free on Kindle !)

Do send me your recommendations…

Happy Reading!