I find books about the early treatment of mental illness both fascinating and horrifying.  Even if I hadn't already been a fan of Kelly's, then, I would have been eager to read Stone Mothers.  Turns out, this isn't my favorite of the author's books.  Still, as with all of Kelly's work, this one kept me burning through pages to see what would happen next.  The characters are complex and intriguing, the plot is fast-paced but contemplative, and the vibe is gothic and eerie.  With plenty of twists to keep things interesting, Stone Mothers is definitely an engrossing page-turner.  It's also sad, depressing, and not my favorite Kelly novel.  Overall, though, I enjoyed it.

(Readalikes:  Reminds me of The Other Mother by Carol Goodman; Woman 99 by Greer MacAllister; and a little of The Bright Unknown by Elizabeth Byler Younts)

Grade:

Seasonal TBR lists are my favorite Top Ten Tuesday topic, so I'm excited for this week's prompt.  With over 5000 titles on my Goodreads "Want to Read" list, I certainly don't need any more book recommendations.  Does that stop me from adding tantalizing titles from other people's lists to mine?  Heck, no!  Book recs are my favorite thing about TTT.

I won't hit you with all 5000-whatever books on my TBR list (you're welcome), but I am going to show you ten that I'm hoping to get to this summer (BTW:  I live in a suburb of Phoenix, Arizona, so summer lasts from about May until November!).  Before I do that, though, I want to encourage you to join in the TTT fun.  It's super simple—check out That Artsy Reader Girl for a few instructions, make your own list, and start clicking around the book blogosphere.  Nothing to it!  Have a great time spreading the love to other book blogs and get some fantastic reading suggestions while you're at it.  What's not to love?

Also, don't forget to enter my giveaway (see sidebar) for A Family of Strangers by Emilie Richards.  It's a mystery novel about a woman searching for her always flawless older sister, whose frantic phone call indicates her life might not be as picture-perfect as it seems.

Top Ten Books on My Summer TBR List (in no particular order):

1.  The Bookish Life of Nina Hill by Abbi Waxman—I've heard a lot of positive buzz about this book, which features a shy bookstore employee who suddenly discovers she has a big, noisy brood of sisters, brothers, nieces, and nephews.  What's a terrified introvert to do when she has to face the chaotic outside world instead of hiding behind a book?


2.  The Chocolate Maker's Wife by Karen Brooks—This novel concerns a poor, abused young woman in 17th Century England whose life changes when she's almost run over by the coach of a nobleman who offers her a job at his luxurious and exclusive chocolate shop.  Cue intrigue, danger, family secrets, and more.  I love historical fiction and this one sounds compelling.


3.  Dancing with the Sun by Kay Bratt—A friend of mine recommended this author to me.  I'd never heard of Bratt before, so I'm starting with her best-rated book on Goodreads.  It's about a grief-stricken mother who travels to Yosemite to see her daughter, who's doing an internship there.  The two embark on what is supposed to be a short hike only to find themselves lost and fighting for survival in the unforgiving wilderness.  I always like mother/daughter novels and this one sounds intriguing to me.


4.  The Bookshop on the Shore by Jenny Colgan—I enjoyed The Bookshop on the Corner when I read it back in 2017, but I've yet to try another novel by this author.  Her newest sounds like another warm, engaging story about a woman looking for a new start in small-town Scotland.


5.  When We Were Sisters by Emilie Richards—After reading A Family of Strangers recently, I'm totally up for another novel by Richards.  This one concerns two women who grew up in foster care together reuniting to film a documentary.  As they reconnect, they struggle to come to terms with current woes and the past that haunts them both.



6.  The Bungalow by Sarah Jio—Jio is another new-to-me author, but this historical, about a nurse who finds a new love and an intriguing mystery on the island of Bora Bora, sounds like a tale I would enjoy.


7.  Crazy Rich Asians by Kevin Kwan—I need to read a whole trilogy for one of the reading challenges I'm doing and I've heard great things about the one that starts with this novel.  It's about a New York woman who decides to spend the summer with her boyfriend in his native Singapore.  She's shocked when she discovers that the humble childhood she imagined for him was nothing but.  Finding that her boyfriend is the country's wealthiest, most eligible bachelor means she has a target on her back.  Sounds fun!


8.  Never Look Back by Clare Donoghue—The first in a mystery series starring DI Mike Lockyer, this novel is about a police hunt for a dangerous killer.  I'm always looking for new detective series and this one sounds compelling.


9.  All You Can Ever Know by Nicole Chung—Stephanie over at She's Probably at the Library highly recommends this memoir about a preemie born in Korea who is adopted and raised by white parents in a small, sheltered Oregon town and her subsequent search for herself as an adoptee, an Asian-American, and a mother.  As my life has been touched by premature birth and transracial adoption, this book sounds like an intriguing read as well as an important and eye-opening one.


10.  Stone Mothers by Erin Kelly—I'm a big Kelly fan, so I'm highly anticipating her newest, which concerns a woman with dark secrets who must return to the place where they're buried.  I always dig a secrets-from-the-past-coming-back-to-haunt-the-present type novel, so this one is right up my alley.

There ya have it, ten books I'm hoping to read during the long, scorching months of summer.  Have you read any of them?  What's on your summer reading list?  I'd truly love to know.  Leave me a comment on this post and I'll gladly return the favor on your blog.

Happy TTT! 

I love Tuesdays in book blogger land.  Why?  Because that's when my favorite weekly meme happens!  If you haven't participated in Top Ten Tuesday before, you really should.  It's a fun way to grow your TBR list (because you can NEVER have too many books in the queue—ha ha), find fabulous new book blogs, and spread the comment love.  To join in, click on over to The Broke and the Bookish for some easy instructions, then have a great time hopping all over the book blogosphere!

Not surprisingly, today's prompt has to do with summer reading.  In fact, it's a Summer Reads Freebie.  I've mentioned before that I'm not a big fan of heat and summer.  I live in a suburb of Phoenix, so I basically spend 9 months out of the year hibernating inside my house with the air conditioning cranked down as low as it can go.  I do, however, love the beach.  Not so much its bright, sunny side; it's dark, dreary beach days that I love.  My list today reflects that preference.

Top Ten Moody, Broody Beach Reads:


1. Almost anything by Peter May—Many of May's novels are set by the sea.  My favorites are Entry Island and his Lewis Trilogy.


 2. The Ruth Galloway series by Elly Griffiths—Ruth is a forensic archaeologist who lives near the sea in Norfolk.  She solves all kinds of mysteries, most (all?) of which boast moody, broody beach settings.  Start with The Crossing Places.


3. The Jess Tennant series by Jane Casey— This YA mystery/suspense series by Irish crime writer Casey is set on the English coast, where there's plenty of blustery atmosphere to be had.  Start with How to Fall.


4.  Almost anything by Kate Morton—Morton is one of my all-time favorite authors.  Many (most?) of her novels are set near water of some kind or another.  My favorites are The Lake House and The Secret Keeper although I've loved all her books.


5.  The Edge of the Earth by Christina Schwarz—This novel, about a newlywed couple who impulsively decide to take a job tending a lighthouse on a remote California island, is the only one on my list that is set wholly in the U.S.


 6.  Broadchurch by Erin Kelly—Based on a popular English tv miniseries, this novel is all kinds of moody/broody.


7.  Shetland series by Ann Cleeves—This mystery series is set in the Shetland Islands, an unforgiving landscape that lends a dramatic air to each story.  Start with Raven Black.


8.  At the Water's Edge by Sara Gruen—I loved this dreary novel about a trio of disgraced American socialites who go Lochness Monster hunting in the Scottish Highlands on a lark—and get a lot more than they bargained for.


 9.  The Ice Twins by S.K. Tremayne—This eerie suspense story will keep you turning pages all night long.


10.  Little Black Lies by Sharon Bolton—This twisty thriller is set in the Falkland Islands, another harsh landscape that lends a dramatic backdrop to a gripping story.

So, that's my twist on this week's topic.  What's yours?  Do you have any favorite books that I should add to my list?  Leave me a comment and I'll gladly return the favor.

Happy Top Ten Tuesday!