Suns out, books out! There’s just something magical about flipping pages with your toes in the water and a cool drink in hand. Whether you’re swooning over a summer fling, gasping at a juicy plot twist, or finally tackling that memoir everyone’s been raving about, poolside is the place to be. So slather on the sunscreen, grab your shades, and make a splash into a great story!
Until Next Month!
Happy Reading! 🤓📚🍹
Kate & Frida By: Kim Fay
This is a gem of a book written entirely in epistolary format with letters being written back and forth between two women in their early twenties. Kate is a book seller in Seattle writing about her job, love for Sven, and her dream of writing her own book. Frida, is in Paris wanting to be a war correspondent, when she writes the first letter to Puget Sound Book Company asking for a particular book to be sent to her. Hence, the letter exchanges begin, as the ladies form a bond and friendship over a course of two years (1991-1993). If you love epistolary novels, book titles dropped through out, and female friendships, then this is a book for you. I gave it 🤩🤩🤩🤩on the devour scale. (By Kim Fay, the author of Love & Saffron.)
Wild Dark Shore By: Charlotte McConaghy
After finishing this book, I can see why it’s getting a lot of buzz! I listened to the audiobook, which has a full cast narration, and I couldn’t wait to find any opportunity to have my AirPods in my ears to listen. Widower, Dominic Salt, and his three children are caretakers of Shearwater,a tiny island off Antarctica. During a major storm, a woman mysteriously washes up on shore. As the Salts nurse her back to life, they begin to feel like a family again. Until they learn,Rowan, the woman, isn’t telling the whole truth about why she set out for Shearwater, in the first place. If you like dark atmospheric books with twists and surprises thrown in, then this is a book for you. I gave it 🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩on the devour scale.
Great Big Beautiful Life By: Emily Henry
The newest Emily Henry's book is getting very mixed reviews and I can see why. In this book, she ventured a bit into a story within a story genre rather than just it being a traditional Rom-Com. Margaret, a mysterious octogenarian, that people haven't seen in years, invites both Alice and Hayden to Crescent Island as possible candidates to write her life story. Each one signs an NDA and can only meet with her on opposite days. However, as you probably can see coming, Hayden and Alice strike up a love interest with one another and learn many new things about Margaret's past life in the process. If you like books with a story told within a story genre, some spicy love scenes, with some plot twits along the way, then this is a book for you. I gave it 🤩 🤩 🤩 🤩 on the devour scale.
All the Perfect Days By: Michael Thompson
Would you want to know how long you or your loved ones have to live? What would you do differently? Charlie, a family doctor, in a small town discovers he has a “gift” for sensing how many days his patients have to live. What happens when he knows the number of days left of the people he loves? Does he tell them? There’s also a second chance romance in the story with his past love, Gen, who returns home unexpectedly to mend the past. If you like speculative fiction, settings with small town vibes, and second chance romances, then this is a book for you. I gave it 🤩🤩🤩🤩on the devour scale and enjoyed reading it on audio. Side note: The author, Michael Thompson, joined our Get Lit book club meeting on Zoom all the way from Australia. He was such a sincere guy and it was so interesting to here where and how he got the idea to write this book. His goal is to attend 100 book clubs in 100 days to promote the book, so if you want him to attend, I highly recommend you reach out to him.
King of Ashes By: S.A.Cosby
Here’s the opening blurb on the inside cover, “A son returning home, a dangerous debt, secrets about to ignite… and a family about to be consumed by flames.” As Roman returns home to find his father in a coma, his younger brother involved in gang related activity, and his sister needing help with the family crematory business, this story takes off at a fast pace and is full of twist and turns along the way. If you like books with action, revenge, and a bit of mystery,as to what happened to their mother twenty years ago, then this is a book for you. Like other S.A.Cosby books, this is not for the faint of heart. I gave it 🤩🤩🤩🤩 on the devour scale.
Back List Book- All the Sinners Bleed By: S.A. Cosby
I read this book in the summer of 2023. It's by the same author of, King of Ashes (reviewed above). I couldn’t devour this book fast enough but warning it’s not for the faint of heart. Titus Crown, the first black sheriff in his small hometown, has to not only investigate a school shooting but also find a serial killer that’s been hiding in plain sight. If you like mysteries, crime fiction, and books filled with action, then this is a book for you. I gave it 🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩 on the devour scale. (Check trigger warnings before reading.)
Paradise - Hulu
The series follows United States Secret Service agent Xavier Collins as he seeks to discover the truth behind the killing of the President of the United States. As Xavier comes under suspicion for President Bradford’s death, he searches for answers about what really happened, and is unsure of whom he can trust as his questions lead to many shocking revelations. Watch Trailer Here
Dept. Q- Netflix
Carl, a former top-rated detective, is wracked with guilt following an attack that left his partner paralysed and another policeman dead. On his return to work, Carl is assigned to a cold case that will consume his life. Watch Trailer Here
Bonus Book: The New Menopause By: Mary Claire Haver, MD
Menopause is inevitable, but suffering through it is not! This is the empowering approach to self-advocacy that pioneering women's health advocate Dr. Mary Claire Haver takes for women in the midst of hormonal change in The New Menopause. A sweeping, authoritative book of science-backed information and lived experience, it covers every woman's needs:
- From changes in your appearance and sleep patterns to neurological, musculoskeletal, psychological, and sexual issues, a comprehensive A to Z toolkit of science-backed options for coping with symptoms.
- What to do to mediate the risks associated with your body's natural drop in estrogen production, including for diabetes, dementia, Alzheimer's, osteoporosis, cardiovascular disease, and weight gain.
- How to advocate and prepare for annual midlife wellness visits, including questions for your doctor and how to insist on whole life care.
- The very latest research on the benefits and side effects of hormone replacement therapy.
The bible of midlife wellness, The New Menopause arms women with the power to secure vibrant health and well-being for the rest of their lives.
Oprah Winfrey Special: The Menopause Revolution - Hulu
An Oprah Winfrey Special: The Menopause Revolution" is a television special that discusses menopause, featuring experts like Dr. Mary Claire Haver and guests like Halle Berry and Naomi Watts. It addresses the taboo surrounding menopause and aims to empower women by providing information and solutions. The special is available to stream on Hulu and Disney+. Oprah also discusses her personal experience with menopause and how it affects every cell in the body, emphasizing the importance of education and open conversations. Watch Trailer Here
