Thank you for joining me here!   I hope you enjoy this series and I’d love to hear from you about what you are reading these days.

Book #1:

The Hotel Nantucket by Elin Hilderbrand (Length: 417 pages) This quintessential beach read about a brand-new and fully renovated multi-million-dollar hotel on Nantucket was a slow start for me. I actually started it twice. There are two parallel plot points in this novel: the first involves the ghost of Grace Hadley (a servant girl who perished in a fire when the hotel was first built) who makes an occasional appearance amongst the guests post-remodel and the second focuses on the various employees and guests of the hotel. I found the multiple points of view to be confusing but I kept at it and I’m so glad I did. This is standard, charming Hilderbrand, with enough of a plot to keep things moving and with her signature attention to details such as the food offered in restaurants and about the hotel itself. This is a GREAT beach read–but maybe not at a busy pool if your attention will be divided in the beginning.

Book #2:

Black Cake by Charmaine Wilkerson (Length: 402 pages). I have had this book on my TBR for way too long because I LOVE this book! This is a beautifully-written story that toggles back and forth among an island in the Caribbean, Europe and the United States. The story is about three kids who grow up and go their separate ways for a bit before transitioning to the story of their children who live in the United States. The meat of the novel is told primarily in flashbacks and those flashbacks are my favorite part of this novel. There are lots of details about food, history, oceanography and other seemingly disparate subjects. The character development here is stellar, with a bit of a mystery thrown in. The chapters are super short which also help to make this novel fly by. I hope you love this as much as I did.

Book #3:

The Life Council  by Laura Tremaine (Length: 208 pages). I am a fan of this author’s podcast as well as her voice, but I chose to read this on my e-reader. This is an interesting take on the types of female friendships women typically enjoy, all of which form a “life council” that the author believes women should have in their lives. Some examples are a Battle Buddy, a Soul Sister, as well as a Mentor. I enjoyed this quick read as well as her personal friendship stories that she used to illustrate each type. I absolutely identified with the concept as well as most of the friend categories. I found myself matching women in my life to the various categories and it made me want to reach out to some of my friends, which is a nice bonus. I will say this isn’t an earth-shattering read so perhaps a library checkout is warranted rather than a purchase. This would make a great book club choice. (If you enjoy the book, definitely check out the author’s podcast–10 Things to Tell You).

Book #4:

The Violin Conspiracy by Brendan Slocumb (Length: 334 pages). I really enjoyed this mystery. It features a fast-paced plot with fantastic details regarding the world of orchestras and classical music, and most specifically, violins. The mystery at the center (a young Black man’s Stradivarius is stolen early on in the novel) is so interesting and well-constructed. I found the actual writing style a bit amateurish in parts but my interest never wavered and I will always remember this one. Definitely worth a read–a beach or travel read for sure!