Thursday, July 14, 2016

Summer Reading 2016 by Jacqueline Seewald

Many magazines and newspapers offer a column on recommended summer reading at this time of the year. For a good number of people, vacation provides a welcome chance to catch up on their reading.

The July 11/18, 2016 issue of TIME, for instance, carries three interesting articles on books for summer reading. They include novels, biographies, memoirs—books that span 240 years of history.

One novel in particular is spotlighted: HOMECOMING by Yaa Gyasi, who was inspired to write a novel that begins in Ghana, the home of her birth. It’s an account of slavery stretched over eight generations and two continents. The book got a seven figure advance for the 26-year-old first time novelist. A feminist version of ROOTS perhaps?

Two new books speculate on Melville’s love life. A new novel entitled MONTEREY BAY uses John Steinbeck as a character.

What book(s) do you want to read this summer?
Any book that you would particularly recommend to other readers?

 If you are an author, do you have a book out that you wish to recommend to readers? Your thoughts and comments welcome!


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22 comments:

  1. Pamela S ThibodeauxJuly 14, 2016 at 4:31 AM

    Wonderful information Jacquie!

    Of course as an author, we all wish to share our titles with others for reading...Summer, Fall, Winter and Spring LOL!

    Mine are on SALE 50% off at Smashwords and can be found here: http://bit.ly/1drZrE1

    Thanks for ALL you do Jacquie!
    Good luck and God's blessings
    PamT

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    1. Jacqueline SeewaldJuly 14, 2016 at 5:01 AM

      Pam,

      Thanks for sharing your information and good luck with sales!

      Delete
  2. CA VerstraeteJuly 14, 2016 at 4:33 AM

    So many books, so little time! I'm reading more historical fiction. I saw a listing for The Wicked Boy by Kate Summerscale about two boys in Victorian England and one is imprisoned for murdering their mother. It traces his life from records and newspaper accounts. And my new book, Lizzie Borden, Zombie Hunter comes out Sept. 13!

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    1. Jacqueline SeewaldJuly 14, 2016 at 5:39 AM

      Hi, Christine,

      What a great title for your new novel!

      Delete
  3. jrlindermuthJuly 14, 2016 at 4:37 AM

    Looking forward to reading James Lee Burke's latest, a new bio on Jack London and some others. Shares The Darkness, 7th in my Sticks Hetrick series, comes out Sept. 16 from Torrid Books.

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    1. Jacqueline SeewaldJuly 14, 2016 at 5:40 AM

      Congrats on your new novel as well! September is a wonderful time for new book publication.

      Delete
  4. Loretta WheelerJuly 14, 2016 at 6:10 AM

    I think all the books you listed sound intriguing and your analogy of Homecoming being a feminist version of Roots makes it even more so. It's about time for another Roots! As for book recommendations, I have so many open on my Kindle at the moment, it's difficult to choose :) But, since you gave us the opportunity to mention some of ours, I'll pop my website on here, which has them all available at 99 cents. They're shorts or novellas, so not lengthy reads. Something to curl up with by the pool or right after lunch before a siesta! Yea summer! www.lorettawheeler.com

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    1. Jacqueline SeewaldJuly 14, 2016 at 8:54 AM

      Thanks for commenting, Loretta. Your work is available at bargain prices for readers.

      Delete
  5. UnknownJuly 14, 2016 at 2:39 PM

    Hi Jacqueline,

    Thanks so much for the invitation to mention our new releases here.

    Summer is the perfect time to relax and read. So many things beg for our attention these days, I prefer novellas and novelettes, as both an author and a reader.

    Nine international authors, including me, have joined together in an anthology of spellbinding love stories set in Europe and Turkey. Letterbox Love Stories Volume I just released this month.

    These nine novelettes are historical, contemporary and time travel/futuristic with a splash here and there of paranormal. All this for just $0.99 for a limited time, on all major e-book platforms.

    The World Romance Writers (WRW) -- #WRWBuzz

    You can find out more here:

    http://worldromancewriters.blogspot.com/

    Thanks again, and happy reading everyone!

    Gemma Juliana
    gemmajuliana.com

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  6. Jacqueline SeewaldJuly 14, 2016 at 4:43 PM

    Thanks for dropping by, Gemma. This sounds like a real bargain for romance readers.

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  7. Susan OleksiwJuly 14, 2016 at 5:21 PM

    I'm enjoying DEATH IN THE GARDEN by Elizabeth Ironside. It is a mystery, but as her fans will know, she spends a lot of time getting to the business of solving it. Nevertheless, her stories are captivating, and I'm wishing this one were longer.

    From my own books, I'd recommend COME ABOUT FOR MURDER: A MELLINGHAM MYSTERY. In this, the 7th book, in the series, Joe Silva teaches his stepson to sail and the townspeople are in a tizzy because of the visit of a senator and his security. And then there's the matter of the drowning of a woman who grew up sailing. If you can't take a vacation on the ocean, you can read this story instead.

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  8. Jacqueline SeewaldJuly 15, 2016 at 5:05 AM

    Hi Susan,

    I'm not familiar with Elizabeth Ironside but I love mysteries that that develop more than the ordinary. I enjoy your Mellingham series as well as Anita Ray.

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  9. Patricia Gligor's Writers ForumJuly 15, 2016 at 5:05 AM

    I'm currently reading "Folly Beach," a novel by Dorothea Benton Frank. I bought the book last year on vacation and have just now gotten around to reading it. Really good!

    As to my books, "Mistaken Identity" takes place on Fripp Island, SC when my main character and her family go on vacation. Sand, surf and a murder!

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    1. Jacqueline SeewaldJuly 15, 2016 at 8:36 AM

      I really enjoyed reading MISTAKEN IDENTITY, and it's perfect for summer reading.

      Delete
  10. Patricia StolteyJuly 15, 2016 at 7:14 AM

    Hi Jacqueline! I've been reading a lot of nonfiction this summer. The one I'd recommend the highest is "Originals: How Non-Conformists Move the World." I think it's a must read for writers. At the moment, mostly because during my de-clutter and get new carpet upheaval I've put my library books somewhere I can't find them, I pulled a book from the shelf I've had for a long time but never read. It's "Peace Like a River" by Leif Enger.

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    1. Jacqueline SeewaldJuly 15, 2016 at 8:37 AM

      Hi Patricia,

      Both of those books sound interesting. I'll have to add them to my summer reading list.

      Delete
  11. MollyLikesMoviesJuly 15, 2016 at 10:10 AM

    Right now, I'm reading THE KING'S PRIVATEER by Dewey Lambdin--it's Napoleonic War naval fiction with a Flashman-type hero. It has well-researched Sailing Stuff, and a very readable writing voice.

    My new book is Phoenix in Shadow (as Jean Lamb) on Amazon. It's Game of Thrones, kind of, with more of a central romance and I don't kill off everyone. In fact, all my books are on sale for $2.99, so if you like fantasy or short Regency, please feel free to head on over and enjoy the free samples, at least.

    Thank you so much for this opportunity!

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  12. Jacqueline SeewaldJuly 16, 2016 at 4:38 AM

    Hi Molly,

    Thanks for posting! Your new novel sounds intriguing. I have to say Game of Thrones turned me off when the hero was killed off early on in the series. Guess I'm a sucker for the good guys winning out.

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  13. Author B Swangin WebsterJuly 19, 2016 at 6:13 AM

    I just wrote about the same thing last week. So many choices...so little time.

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  14. Jacqueline SeewaldJuly 26, 2016 at 5:39 AM

    Thanks for dropping by, B.

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  15. Susan CoryellAugust 3, 2016 at 7:45 AM

    Great advice, as always. Writing a short story is actually harder for me than writing a novel! Conciseness is key and I am wordy. Sigh. Still, I love the genre, so might try again.
    Thanks for urging us on!

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  16. Jacqueline SeewaldAugust 5, 2016 at 2:29 AM

    Recently I wrote three novellas. So all lengths are possible.

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