Friday, August 10, 2018

Summer Reading 2018


It’s that time of year again when every magazine, newspaper and newsletter offers suggestions on summer reading. So why should this blog be any different?

Summer is the perfect time to spend some time vacationing or just relaxing. Sit in the sun, lie on a chaise poolside, rest by the ocean or a lake, or under the shade of a tree, sip a cool drink, and read a book—hard cover, soft cover or digital.

Mysteries remain one of the most popular genres for summer reading. Why? Because they entertain us. They also engage our intellect in a satisfying manner. Romances provide us with a happy ever after ending. If you like reading for enjoyment, it’s the way to go.

Lots of good summer reading on the bestseller list.
But what about some of the excellent authors who write for small independent presses and provide us with quality fiction but don’t get as much publicity because they are not with the big publishers?

I recommend Patricia Gligor’s latest novel Secrets in Storyville which I recently reviewed on Goodreads. It’s an absorbing mystery that’s quite original. Another fine mystery is A Murder of Principle by Susan Coryell, a perfect summer read for those who enjoy mystery thrillers, ditto the extremely well-reviewed mystery Murder in the One Per Cent by Saralyn Richard. You can check these out on Amazon.

I also modestly recommend my latest mystery novel
Death Promise, a romantic mystery thriller.



For romance lovers, check out Daisy Dukes ‘Cowboy Boots by the writing team known as Zari Reede. I enjoyed reading this novel as well.

There are many other fine writers who can be added to this list. As a reader and/or writer are there any authors and/or books you would like to recommend for summer reading? You are most welcome to mention your own books.




28 comments:

  1. That looks like a good list, Jacquie. Right now I'm reading THE WAY THINGS WERE by Aatish Taseer, set in India in the 1970s and present. The weather is hot and steamy, the landscape gorgeous, and the earlier setting recalls my first year in that country. On top of that it's a very compelling story.

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    1. Susan,

      Sounds like this is a very interesting book. I enjoy exotic settings. Thanks for mentioning it.

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  2. Great recommendations!
    Good luck and God's blessings
    PamT

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    1. Thank you, Pam, but you should have mentioned your latest novel.

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  3. What a great topic, and thank you for the mention. Daisy Dukes 'n Cowboy Boots was great fun to write. I read, Death Promise, upon its' release and just recently, Witch Wish. Both were very entertaining. I especially liked the premise, to be careful what you wish for in your young adult novel. I recently read, Sleeping with Elvis, by Beth Carter, and I loved her cursing parrot. Great beach read. And, if you believe in past lives, looking for romance, and like Dan Brown Books, you will love Belle Ami's, The Girl Who Knew Da Vinci. There are a lot of Summer reads to choose from. Black Opal Books has some amazing authors. Those are just my last three reads of the summer.

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    1. Zari,

      Thanks so much for commenting and offering these great reading suggestions! I'm so glad you enjoyed both Death Promise and Witch Wish.

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  4. I like a good actiony thriller. They are quick, exciting reads. Those are also the kinds of books I like to write.

    I'm currently reading Lost Creed by Alex Kava. A good read so far. I have enjoyed all of Kava's novels.

    You can see my books at www.bobbynash.com and http://ben-books.blogspot.com

    Bobby

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    1. Bobby,

      Thanks for dropping by and offering your reading suggestions.

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  5. Thanks for mentioning Murder in the One Percent. It's a special thrill to have you as a reader! I've been reading John Grisham's An Innocent Man, A.J. Finn's The Woman in the Window, Michael Ondaatje's Warlight, and Jonathan Kellerman's Obsession. I also love Amor Towles's A Gentleman in Moscow. Next up on my Kindle are Paul Thaler's Bronxland and Lynn McPherson's The Girls' Weekend Murder. So many books, so little time!

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    1. Saralyn,

      That's an impressive list of books! Happy summer reading.

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    2. I loved, Murder in the One Percent and I have read Girls Murder Weekend! You will love it! It feels like an old black and white film. Cozy mystery;)

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  6. Jacquie,
    What a pleasant and most appreciated surprise. Thank you so much for mentioning my new release, Secrets in Storyville.

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  7. Right now I'm reading "The Canadian Cowboy" by Andy Russel a well written insightful account of many aspects of the Canadian cattle business and those who built it from someone who was part of it.
    A fictional look at someone who helped build that same industry can be found in "High Rider" the story (fictionalized as I've said)of John Ware born a slave in the US south east and died a respected horseman in Southern Alberta.
    I recently recieved another great call from a reader two days after she bought my latest effort, "The Making of Jake McTavish". "I couldn't put it down," she said. "Greatest mystery I've read in ages and about country I recognize." Yes, it is a mystery, historical fiction, Canadian with even a touch of geography.
    Oh, I almost forgot David Baldacci ... I'm sure he must have written something boring; I just haven't found it.

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  8. Forgot the author's name; "High Rider" is by Bill Gallaher

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    1. That's D.M. for your input. You've added to our growing list of good summer reading.

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  9. Thanks for recommending A MURDER OF PRINCIPLE. I really appreciate it! I often recommend your DEATH PROMISE, which I could not put down! Nice blog, as usual.

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    1. Hi Susan,

      I feel the same way about A MURDER OF PRINCIPLE. As a former high school English teacher myself, I recognized the authenticity of the book.

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  10. Those all seem like great options for me to check out. I read almost all types of books. I'm currently reading The Secret History of the Pink Carnation by Lauren Willig. It has some mystery and a lot of romance.

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    1. That sounds like a good choice, just the kind of book I enjoy as well.

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  11. My latest read was Gypsy Magic by Tonya Royston, which I thoroughly enjoyed and recommend. I tend to read a lot of fantasies and mysteries. Murder in the One Percent is excellent and I eagerly await book 2. I'm always eager to try new authors and can't wait to peruse these recommendations.

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  12. Good suggestions, Jacqueline. I've read Saralyn's book and it is indeed a great read! I'll check out the other too.

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  13. Thanks, Kathleen, for dropping by and best wishes for the success of your latest mystery novel.

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  14. Hi Jacquline, for your summer reading list I'll offer one non-fiction and two fictional ones:

    Among the books I choose to read, most of them are fiction, but my greatest incentive for reading non-fiction books is the chance to educate myself not only about the main character(s) but also the period of time and the people living within it. And on this planet we all share, perhaps the most secretive country with the least things known about it to the general public is North Korea. Hyeonseo Lee's book, The Girl With Seven Names, is the retelling of her incredibly courageous journey as a North Korean defector, bringing me into her world of initial naiveté to necessary acts of savvy desperation for not only her own survival, but family members as well. This woman seemingly had no chance to survive the travails that she did, but as the reader comes to see, Lee may have been small in stature, but possessed the strength of will that few can match. I highly recommend this inspiring and enlightening story about a subject that is, unfortunately, as timely as it is true.

    And briefly, for the fictional suggestions, I'm a big Ken Follett fan, and two of his older ones that I've recently read and cut into my sleep time because I just couldn't put them down are A Dangerous Fortune and The Third Twin. Wonderfully diverse characters and fantastic plots.

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    1. Hi Keith,

      I'm a Ken Follett fan as well. I've enjoyed his novels for many years.

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  15. I haven't yet read the book I'd like to recommend but it will arrive any day. It is WHISKEY WHEN WE'RE DRY, by John Larison. It is set in 1885, about a 17 year old girl who dresses as a man to find her outlaw brother and bring him home. Viking, John's publisher, calls the book "a stunning achievement, an epic as expansive as America itself." The fun thing is that I met John at my grandson's primitive bow-making class. (Archery.) Twenty minutes earlier, John had received word that his book had been optioned for film. We had a great time talking about the books we like, NEWS OF THE WORLD is one, why we write about the historic West, and so on. John is all over the net, including a YouTube presentation. You may also be interested in my historical western, MISS ROYAL'S MULES, due to release in November from Five Star--more information on-line.

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    1. Irene,

      John's novel sounds a bit like True Grit. You'll have to let us know after you've read it. I'm excited for you having a new frontier novel with Five Star.

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