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Showing posts with label Libby Copeland. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Libby Copeland. Show all posts
Tuesday, May 23, 2023
Top Ten Tuesday: Ten (More) Things That Make Me Instantly Want to Read a Book
There are lots of things that make me want to read a particular book. Perhaps it's written by a favorite author or it utilizes a trope I enjoy or the cover just screams, "Pick me up!" What attracts another reader to a certain volume might turn me off completely. Selecting the right book is a very objective process. Today's TTT prompt—Top Ten Things That Make Me Instantly Want to Read a Book—is all about those specific reasons you find certain books alluring. I created a list for this topic back in 2018 and nothing much has changed. I'm a creature of habit. Coming up with an additional ten for today's list was a bit of a struggle, but I managed it.
As always, Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by the lovely Jana over at That Artsy Reader Girl. Click on over and give her some love!
Top Ten (More) Things That Make Me Instantly Want to Read a Book
- Covers indicate a book I have read and enjoyed that fits the category. -
1. Family History/DNA—I'm a genealogist, so I'm naturally drawn to books about this hobby and industry. It's endlessly fascinating to me, whether it's being examined in a novel, memoir, or popsci volume.
2. Locked-Room Mysteries—My favorite kind of mysteries are those where the killers and victims are closeted together in an intimate, claustrophobic setting. Remote islands, Antarctic outposts, secret towns in the Yukon...I love them all. Even better if there's a vicious storm brewing to complicate things even more!
3. Depression/Dust Bowl—It's not a very uplifting subject, but lately I've been very intrigued by this era in American history.
4. Appalachia—I've never been to this area of the U.S., but I'm still fascinated by the region with its hills, hollers, and unique way of life.
5. Catchy Titles—If a book's title makes me smile, laugh, or wonder, I'll probably pick it up. I find cozy mystery titles involving cheese especially hilarious.
6. Moody, Broody Covers—Give me all the windswept old houses, angry seas, desolate landscapes, and stormy skies. Atmospheric covers always appeal to me.
7. Based on a True Story Historical Fiction—I'm a big hist-fic fan, especially when a novel tells an obscure/untold tale that is based on real life.
8. Knives Out-ish—Ever since this popular movie came out, I've seen a bunch of mystery novels comparing themselves to Knives Out. Although none of the ones I've read so far have really charmed me as much as the film, I still rush to read them.
9. One Thing Wrong Cover—Books about communities that seem placid and upstanding on the outside by harbor deep, dark secrets always appeal to me. I love covers that illustrate this subtly, with just one little thing out of place to show that not everything is what it seems.
10. Books—This one will shock exactly no one. If a cover features a stack of books, a bookstore or library, and/or a bookish title, I'm in.
There you go, ten more things that draw me to certain books. What subjects/tropes/cover images, etc. never fail to hook your interest as a reader? I'd truly love to know. Leave me a comment on this post and I will gladly return the favor on your blog. I also reply to comments left here.
Happy TTT!
Tuesday, September 07, 2021
TTT: The Top Ten Best Non-Fiction Books I've Read So Far This Year
I need more happy reads in my life because prompts like today's—Top Ten Books Guaranteed to Put a Smile On Your Face—always leave me scratching my head. Although I do like a fun cozy mystery as well as humorous characters, I just don't read very many smiley kinds of books. I did manage to come up with ten for February's list of Top Ten Books That Made Me Laugh Out Loud and that was tough enough. So, I'm going rogue once again. As promised last week when I listed the Top Ten Best Novels I've Read So Far This Year, this week I'm going to give you the non-fiction version. Today's list was a much easier one to put together because I've only read, ahem, nine non-fiction books in 2021. Luckily, all of them were excellent. I am going to include the one I DNF'd as well because I only ditched the audio—I want to read the book instead of listen to it because I was missing too much by just listening.
Want to join in the TTT fun? Hop on over to That Artsy Reader Girl for all the details.
Top Ten Best Non-Fiction Books I've Read So Far This Year
- in no particular order -
1. The Indifferent Stars Above: The Harrowing Story of a Donner Party Bride by Daniel James Brown—I know, I know, it's weird to want to read about the Donner Party, but I've long been a fan of pioneer stories and survival tales. This one is both. It's also about a lot more than cannibalism. Brown does an excellent job telling the epic story in all its tragic horror, without sensationalizing the truly horrific bits. It's a fascinating account of a terrible journey.
2. Atomic Habits by James Clear—I loved this self-help book about how to make goals attainable. Clear gives some great advice on not only how to set reachable goals, but also how to break bad habits.
3. The Cold Vanish by Jon Billman—I just reviewed this absorbing book about the jaw-dropping number of people who go missing every year in North America's federal lands. Why do they vanish? And what is being done to find them?
4. A Girl From Yamhill by Beverly Cleary—Did your childhood reading life revolve around Beverly Clearly? Mine did. This first volume of the author's autobiography provides an interesting look at Cleary's growing-up years and how they informed both her character and her writing.
5. American Baby by Gabrielle Glaser—I've always been fascinated by adoption stories, even before becoming an adoptive mother myself. This book uses the story of an unwed mother who placed her child for adoption in the 1960s as a vehicle to explore how poorly such women were treated, not just by the system but by society and their own families. It's a heartbreaking, eye-opening, thought-provoking read.
6. The Third Pole: Mystery, Obsession, and Death on Mount Everest by Mark Synnott—This book tells the story of Synnott's Mount Everest expedition, which focused not on summitting the mountain but on finding a lost piece of Everest history. This is a more academic study of Everest than most and yet, I found it just as interesting (although much slower) than Jon Krakauer's popular Into Thin Air.
7. The Answer Is... by Alex Trebek—I was surprised to discover that this book is actually quite light and funny. It's less of an autobiography and more of a rumination on a life well lived.
8. Dead Wake by Erik Larson—Disaster books are another of my weird reading likes. This one, about the sinking of the Lusitania during World War I, made for a really interesting read (listen, actually, as I enjoyed it on audio).
9. The Lost Family by Libby Copeland—Genealogy is another of my big interests, so I couldn't resist this book about how DNA testing is changing our ideas of family, nature vs. nurture, privacy, and so on. It's riveting!
10. Endurance: Shackleton's Incredible Voyage by Alfred Lansing—Like I said, I started listening to this book on audio, but I kept having to rewind it to catch parts I missed. Since I didn't want to miss a word, I decided to pick it up in book form instead.
Have you read any of these? What did you think? What are the best non-fiction books you've read this year? I'd truly love to know. Leave a comment on this post and I'll gladly return the favor on your blog.
Happy TTT!
Tuesday, August 24, 2021
Top Ten Tuesday: Because If I'm Going to Read Non-Fiction, I Want It to at Least Read Like Fiction
First off, congratulations to Cheri, who won my 15th Blogoversary Giveaway for a free book. Enjoy your prize! Thank you to her and to all of you for being loyal readers of BBB. I appreciate it more than you could possibly know.
Today's TTT topic is Top Ten Books I Wish I Could Read Again for the First Time. It's a fine prompt, but one that is just not inspiring me today. Time to go rogue? Yes, yes it is.
I've always been a lover of fiction, with little to no interest in reading non-fiction. Occasionally, an inspiring self-help title would catch my eye or I'd dive into a biography of a fascinating person, but for the most part, it was all fiction, all the time. Lately, though, I've developed a growing appreciation for narrative non-fiction because, you know, if I'm going to read non-fiction I want it to at least read like fiction! I've especially enjoyed listening to these types of books on audio while I drive or do housework. In an effort to find more great titles in this genre, I'm going to share my favorite examples and ask you to recommend yours. Deal?
Before we get to that, though, I have to give a shout-out to our host. Click on over to That Artsy Reader Girl to learn more about TTT and to give Jana some love!
Top Ten Favorite Non-Fiction Books That Read Like Fiction
1. Into Thin Air by Jon Krakauer—I've read a couple books by this author, but this one is my favorite by far. It details Krakauer's harrowing climb up Mount Everest during a terrible storm in May 1996 that killed five people. The riveting account is replete with Everest history, lore, and firsthand knowledge of what it's like to scale the beast.
2. Dead Wake by Erik Larson—I just finished listening to this book on audio. It tells the story of the Lusitania's last voyage, explaining how and why it sank. Larson makes the tragedy personal by featuring various passengers and their experiences on board. It's fascinating!
Speaking of Larson, a lot of people rave about his The Devil in the White City, which is about a serial killer who preyed on women during the Chicago World's Fair in 1893. While the story is intriguing, I couldn't stomach the grisly details and had to stop listening. I do plan to read his other, less disturbing books, however.
3. Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand—Another engrossing read, this one recounts the experiences of Louis Zamperini, an Olympic runner turned World War II soldier. He experienced so much heartache and trauma during the war that it really is a miracle he survived. This is an inspiring read on many levels.
4. The Children's Blizzard by David Laskin—Lark from Lark Writes...on Books and Life recommended this one, which describes a freak storm that occurred in the Midwest in 1888 right as schoolkids were being let out for the day. The unexpected blizzard wreaked deadly havoc on a lot of unprepared people, many of whom were children. It's a sad read, but a gripping one.
5. Columbine by Dave Cullen—This is another sad one, but it's also a fascinating and illuminating recounting of the horrific school shooting. Very thought-provoking.
6. The Lost Family by Libby Copeland—As a family history fanatic, I love learning about genealogical research, DNA, nature vs. nature, adoption, and many other related topics. This book uses the story of a woman who got unexpected results back from a DNA test to ask probing questions about who we are and how our genetics and biological families affect our identities.
7. Seabiscuit by Laura Hillenbrand—By the author of Unbroken, this may have been the first book I read that really qualifies as narrative non-fiction. Even though I know nothing about horses and horse racing, I found it to be a very compelling read.
8. The Family Romanov by Candace Fleming—Like many people, I'm intrigued by the mystery of Anastasia Romanov. This book discusses the murder of her family and the circumstances that led up to it. Fleming uses real letters to contrast the Romanovs' luxurious lives with those of the common Russian during that period, making for an especially thought-provoking read about the lives of this royal family.
9. The Cold Vanish by Jon Billman—Lark and I share an affinity for survival stories set in remote locations, so I get all kinds of great recommendations—like this one—from her. This book talks about the many people who go missing from America's national parks every year and what's being done to bring them home. It's a fascinating read.
10. The Third Pole by Mark Synnott—Okay, this one's a cheat because I just started this book today. It's riveting, though, so I predict it will become a favorite. The book talks about Synnott's expedition to Mount Everest in 2019 in which he and his team hoped to find the camera George Mallory and Sandy Irvine purportedly had on them when they died trying to summit the mountain in 1924. If photographic evidence exists, it could prove that they were actually the first to top Mt. Everest via the North Col, not the Chinese team who famously did it in 1960.
There you have it, ten narrative non-fiction reads that I thoroughly enjoyed. Have you read any of them? Which non-fiction-that-reads-like-fiction books have you loved? Which would you recommend? I'm especially interested in those that explore historical disasters, natural or otherwise. True crime is too much for me, unless it's of the less-graphic variety.
Happy TTT!
Thursday, April 29, 2021
Mormon Mentions: Libby Copeland
(Note: In 2018, Russell M. Nelson—president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints—made an impassioned plea to members of the Church and to the media to always use the full and correct name of the Church instead of referring to it by its various nicknames. This led to the renaming of many Church entities, including its famous choir, which is now The Tabernacle Choir at Temple Square. Although I have been trying to think up a clever new name for this feature that is more in line with President Nelson's request, for the moment it remains "Mormon Mentions.")
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The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is well known for its long-held interest in genealogy/family history, so it's no surprise that the Church is mentioned several times in The Lost Family by Libby Copeland:
"It matters deeply to members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints who their ancestors are because this knowledge allows them to carry out a grave responsibility, to save souls and ensure the sanctity of the family unit in the afterlife" (29).
- One of the most comforting doctrines taught by the Church is that families are forever, bound together both in this life and the next. Building temples, in which familial bonds are cemented through sacred covenants, is a priority because this eternal binding is of utmost importance to the leadership and membership of the Church. I love this video, which explains this better than I can:
"FamilySearch, though, is not a business. It is a massive project free to everyone, dedicated to the idea that we're all better off if we know our ancestors...[The Church] also runs the website FamilySearch.org, where you can search more than five billion records" (29).
- If you have any interest in family history, I strongly recommend visiting FamilySearch. It's run by the Church, but anyone can use its abundant free resources. If you need help navigating the site, let me know. I'm happy to help.
Approachable DNA/Genealogy Book An Engrossing, Thought-Provoking Read
(Image from Barnes & Noble)
If you hang out here at BBB with any regularity, you know that I'm an adoptive mom as well as an avid genealogist. I'm so into family history, in fact, that I'm currently working on becoming accredited as a professional genealogist in two regions: U.S. Southwest and U.S. Great Lakes. COVID has slowed the process, but I'm hoping to finish my testing this year. I'm not a big tv watcher (I'd rather read, thank you very much!); however, I have been known to binge-watch shows like Finding Your Roots, Genealogy Roadshow, Relative Race, and Who Do You Think You Are?. I've been quietly researching my adopted daughter's birth family's genealogy since she was born. Bottom line? I go nuts over anything related to family history: research, DNA, adoption reunions, family heirlooms, passed-down stories, etc. Given all that, I was immediately drawn to The Lost Family by Libby Copeland. How could I resist a book that promised to tick off so many of my favorite reading boxes?
The book tells the story of Alice Collins Plebuch, a woman who took a DNA test that returned results that were unexpected and perplexing. To say the least. The confusing information led her on a journey that required painstaking research, uncomfortable questions, and an almost complete overhaul of everything she knew about herself and her family. Copeland uses Plebuch's incredible story as a framework for discussing the relatively new technology of DNA home-testing, which allows anyone to spit in a tube, upload very personal information to a very public forum, and share all the secrets hiding in their genes with the world. While doing so has led to joyous reunions between biological family members, answers to heart-wrenching questions, and even the bringing to justice of the Golden State Killer, they've also been the catalyst for broken hearts, renewed feelings of abandonment, privacy breaches, and the revelation of long-buried secrets that maybe should have been kept that way. Copeland poses some deep, thought-provoking questions on the subject like:
- Should the public posting of DNA results be more regulated to protect those who are not actively seeking answers?
- What makes a family?
- How much does one's genetics really influence the person they become?
- Should DNA results be automatically shared with law enforcement agencies in the pursuit of greater-good justice-seeking in spite of privacy issues?
- Do the children of adoption and sperm donation have the right to seek their birth families, regardless of whether those people want to be contacted?
Copeland's exploration of these questions and more makes for fascinating food for thought. If your book club is looking for a discussion-worthy read, you just found it!
Although The Lost Family digs into complex science and even more complicated philosophical questions, it's actually a very readable book. Copeland's style is laidback and conversational, making her book a great pick for experienced genealogists as well as family history newbies. The stories she includes—about Alice and many others—makes her subject intimate and personal. It's not often that I race through a volume of non-fiction, but I cruised through this one eagerly lapping up every word. Needless to say, I enjoyed the read immensely.
I choose paper books over their e-versions on most occasions, but I purposely bought this one digitally so that I could mark it up and easily search for memorable passages. Here are a few of my favorites:
"Secrets, we are all discovering, have a propulsive power all their own, and time and complicity only make them more powerful. Once you decide to keep a secret, the secret maintains a circular logic, even when circumstances change. Many seekers say the fact of the secret is the thing that nags at them, more than the nature of the secret itself" (3-4).
"The sheer girth of those numbers means that even if you don't choose to send away for a kit, it increasingly doesn't matter. Especially in the United States, where DNA testing is more popular than anywhere else, all of us are already drawn in by the decisions of other people who share our genetic material—people who, in many cases, we've never met. As bioethicist Thomas H. Murray told me, 'You don't get to opt out.'" (4)
"We look for ourselves in our family histories and in our genes, but such things alone do not make identity. We human beings are the meaning-makers, each of us a product of a particular time and place, with ideas about what we value and, indeed, what we hope to find when we look" (28).
"...when one person spits into a vial or swabs her cheek, her whole family is implicated" (50).
"For science to use someone's body to attempt to disprove something sacred to that person—is that the uncovering of truth or a violation?" (67).
I could go on, but I'll stop there and just encourage you to read the book for yourself. Also, I'd love to know your experiences with and feelings on DNA testing. I find the whole subject utterly fascinating. My husband, adopted daughter, and I all did ours through Ancestry years ago. Like Copeland, I was "at once disappointed and relieved not to find any big surprises in my results...boring results can be a blessing" (32).
Grade:
If this were a movie, it would be rated:
for brief, mild language (no F-bombs) and disturbing subject matter (rape, incest, murder, etc.)
To the FTC, with love: I bought a copy of The Lost Family with a portion of the millions I make from my lucrative career as a book blogger. Ha ha.
Tuesday, March 02, 2021
Top Ten Tuesday: Fact or Fiction, I Love a Good Family History Story!
Today's Top Ten Tuesday topic is all about our dream jobs—or at least those that look fun, exciting, and interesting in fiction. The prompt, Top Ten Characters Whose Job I Wish I Had, has left me scratching my head, though. I guess it's just too early in the morning for my brain to match up characters from books I enjoyed or books I want to read with jobs I wish I had. Probably I'm being too literal. Although I have a college degree in English, my oldest child was born prematurely (at 29 weeks gestation) not long after graduation. I have been a stay-at-home mom ever since. While it's hardly the most glamorous career choice in the world, I've found a lot of satisfaction and fulfillment in being able to focus on motherhood full-time. I do feel less needed now that my oldest two are on their own and my youngest two are in school all day, but I still don't feel any great longing to enter the workforce. The other day, my husband was joking about me getting a full-time job so he could retire (he's 44). Our 16-year-old son, who's usually pretty "whatever" about things, looked appalled at the idea and said, "What? No! I need you at home, Mom." So, there you go. I've been working my dream job for over 22 years now and, all in all, it's been pretty great. Still, wiping runny noses and changing dirty diapers isn't the stuff of which great fiction is made, so...
If I could choose another dream job, it would for sure be that of a professional reader. Since book blogging is pretty darn close, I have to say that I'm actually already "working" two of my dream "jobs." Wow!
That brings us to family history, which has long been an interest of mine. A couple years ago, I made the decision to become accredited as a professional genealogist. While you don't technically need any kind of certification to work in the field, especially as a self-employed researcher, I thought it would be a fun, challenging way to up my genealogy game. And it has been. I completed two big research projects in two different specialty areas (the Great Lakes and the Southwest regions of the U.S.) and now all I have to do is test in both. This was supposed to have happened a year ago, but thanks to COVID, it's been postponed. In the meantime, I've continued researching my own ancestors in an ongoing effort to know and understand those who came before me and to keep my family history sleuthing skills sharp. One way I do this is by attending RootsTech—the world's largest family history conference—which is held annually in Salt Lake City, Utah. Because of the pandemic, this year's event was held entirely online and was, for the first time ever, completely free. Even though the conference has ended, the classes and presentations that were given are still available online, meaning you can watch them right now. If you've ever wanted to learn more about how to research your own family history straight from industry professionals, this is your chance to do it from the comfort of your own home and without spending a dime. Click on over to RootsTech.org for more details.
If you have any desire at all to know about your roots, I highly recommend checking out FamilySearch. It's a free, easy-to-use genealogy website where you can build a family tree, connect it to others that are already in its enormous database (chances are excellent that your great-grandparents and beyond are in there, meaning you won't have to do extensive research to find them), and use historical records (millions of which are available to search on the site for free) to learn more about their lives. Although my illustrious ancestors were more pauper than prince, I have found it extremely rewarding to get to know them and connect to my heritage.
I know it seems I've meandered far away from books, but I promise this is going somewhere! Obviously, I love learning about family history—from reading stories about my ancestors to studying old documents to Nancy Drew-ing my way through puzzling mysteries, I'm here for it all. Not surprisingly, I also enjoy reading books about genealogy. I've found a few that star genealogists and a lot more that feature characters who are looking into their own pasts in order to solve a mystery, understand an enigmatic family member, connect with a lost culture, or find themselves in their own pasts. My list today is gong to be a mixture of books I've read and those I want to read about genealogy and family history.
However you want to twist the TTT topic, you definitely want to join in the fun. All the details are over at That Artsy Reader Girl. Check it out.
Top Ten Books About Genealogy and Family History:
Five I've Read—
1. The Length of a String by Elissa Brent Weissmann—I read this middle grade novel earlier this year and loved it. It's about a mixed-race girl who was adopted as a baby by a white Jewish couple. As she prepares for her upcoming bat mitzvah, she begins studying the life of her adoptive great-grandmother, who fled her European homeland during World War II. This propels the girl on a journey to discover who she really is and where she truly belongs. It's an excellent, moving book about identity and family.
2. Murder Once Removed by S.C. Perkins—This cozy mystery series features a professional genealogist who solves family history mysteries as a job. In this first installment, she's been hired by a Texas billionaire to find the murderer of his great-great granddaddy. Although I didn't absolutely love this book, it's still a fun read. There are a couple more books in the series now—I need to catch up.
3. Inheritance by Dani Shapiro—In this memoir, Shapiro recounts what happened when a DNA test she took returned unexpected results. The journey she then undertook to find and understand her true identity is an intriguing one that asks important questions about family, identity, culture, and the ethics of sperm donation. It's fascinating.
4. It's All Relative by A.J. Jacobs—I heard Jacobs speak at RootsTech in 2015 after he published this book about his quest to find his roots. It's a hilarious, entertaining read that any genealogy addict will enjoy.
5. The Forgotten Garden by Kate Morton—I'm a huge fan of Morton's multi-layered family sagas for lots of reasons. This one concerns a young girl who is taken in by a tender-hearted old man when she arrives alone in Australia without anyone to retrieve her. She's raised by the man and his wife, without knowing she's not their biological child. When she finds out, she sets out on a journey to find out who she really is.
Five I Want to Read—
1. The Lost by Daniel Mendelsohn—Stephanie over at She's Probably at the Library recommended this book about the author's search for his family's Holocaust story. The way she described his painstaking research process made me especially interested in reading this heavy tome that Stephanie says is heartbreaking but fascinating.
2. Under the Light of the Italian Moon by Jennifer Anton (available March 8, 2021)—Based on the author's own family history, this novel tells the story of one woman's resilience during World War II in Italy.
3. Send For Me by Lauren Fox—This dual-timeline novel concerns a woman who finds her grandmother's letters from World War II Germany, which propels her on a journey into her family's tragic past. Have I mentioned that I've got a thing for family history?
4. Paging the Dead by Brynn Bonner—The first installment in a family history mystery series, this one has the professional genealogist main character investigating a murder in order to clear her own name. Sounds fun!
5. The Lost Family by Libby Copeland—This book, which examines DNA results and family history research, has gotten some good buzz. I'm definitely interested in reading it.
There you go, ten books about family history/genealogy that I've read and want to read. Which books of this type have you enjoyed? I'd truly love to know. Leave me a comment on this post and I will gladly return the favor on your blog.
Happy TTT!
Tuesday, June 02, 2020
Top Ten Tuesday: Bingo!
On a lighter note, it's Top Ten Tuesday time. Yay! This is my favorite bookish meme. If you haven't joined in before, you really should—it's a great way to spread the love around our great book blogging community. All you have to do is click on over to That Artsy Reader Girl to get started. Easy peasy.
Today's topic is a fun one: Top Ten Books That Give Off Summer Vibes. Summer is my least favorite season (ironic, given that I live in the Land of Eternal Sunshine) and I actually seem to avoid it in my reading as much as I do in my real life. So, I'm going to change up the topic a little bit today. Jana, our TTT host, just announced a summer reading challenge she and Reading With Jessica are hosting from June 1 - August 31. It has a Bingo format, where you cross off different prompts when you read books that fit the categories. The kicker? Each book has to be written by an author you've never tried before. Sounds fun, right? I haven't come up with a coordinated attack for tackling the challenge yet, but here are the Top Ten Books I'm Planning to Read for the New-to-Me Author Summer Bingo Event. Want to Bingo with me? You can find all the info here.
Top Ten Books I'm Planning to Read for the New-to-Me Author Summer Bingo Event
1. Where Dreams Descend by Janella Angeles—I just started this magical YA fantasy, a genre I don't usually read. It's about a powerful show magician who's determined to break out of the gilded cage in which her mentor is keeping her. When she escapes, she finds herself in a complex world that she doesn't understand. So far, I'm enjoying the writing, the imaginative world, and the strong, willful heroine. (Challenge categories: Summer 2020 Release, Author With a "J" in Their Name, First in a Series)
2. The Other People by C.J. Tudor—I don't usually like books centered around a revenge plot, but this one sounds intriguing. It's about a father who wants justice after his daughter is abducted and killed. (Challenge categories: Author With a "J" in Their Name, Standalone)
3. Stranger in the Lake by Kimberly Belle (available June 9, 2020)—This thriller revolves around Charlotte, a newlywed who's trying to ignore the small-town whispers about the real cause of her husband's first wife's death. When the body of a young woman is found in the same place where his first wife died, Charlotte is forced to take a closer look at the husband she isn't sure she really knows. (Challenge categories: Summer 2020 Release, Your Favorite Genre, Contemporary)
4. The Bitter and Sweet of Cherry Season by Molly Fader—A mother and her daughter seek asylum at the Orchard House, their family estate in Michigan. As she works in the orchards and gets to know their caretaker, she begins to discover the way to a new start. (Challenge categories: Summer 2020 Release, Summery Book Cover, Contemporary, Standalone)
5. That Summer in Maine by Brianna Wolfson (available June 23, 2020)—During one summer in Maine, two women who don't know each other have an affair with the same man. Sixteen years later, their daughters find each other and decide to spend a summer in Maine getting to know their biological father. (Challenge categories: Summer 2020 Release, Contemporary, Summery Book Cover, Your Favorite Color on the Cover, Beach on the Cover, Standalone)
6. The Woman in the Green Dress by Tea Cooper—I'll be reviewing this one for a blog tour later in the summer. It centers on a young widow who receives a large sum when her husband dies in the Great War. Knowing his family in Australia needs the money more than she does, Fleur travels Down Under and finds herself in a strange country living a life she never expected as the owner of a remote farm and a crumbling curio shop. Sounds like a fun read! (Challenge categories: Summer 2020 Release, Your Favorite Color on the Cover, Standalone, Set in a Country Other Than Your Own)
7. A Deadly Inside Scoop by Abby Collette—Bronwyn Crewse has returned to her small Ohio town to renovate and reopen her family's ice cream shop. A delayed opening means her first day in business coincides with the first snowfall of the year—and the murder of a drifter who harbored an old grief against Bronwyn's family. I'm enjoying cozy mysteries lately and this series opener is getting good reviews. (Challenge categories: Contemporary, Cool Off With a Wintry or Snowy Setting, First in a Series)
8. The Pull of the Stars by Emma Donoghue (available July 21,2020)—This one is set in a Dublin hospital during World War I and the deadly flu pandemic. The women at its center change each other's lives in meaningful ways over the course of the novel. I've never read anything by Donoghue, but I find pandemic novels fascinating, so this one appeals. (Challenge categories: Set in a Country Other Than Your Own, Standalone, Hyped)
9. The Lost Family: How DNA Testing is Upending Who We Are by Libby Copeland—As a budding genealogist, I find genetics and family relationships endlessly intriguing. I can't wait to read this one, which I have on hold at the library. (Challenge categories: Recommended By a Friend, Reader's Choice, Lesser-Known)
10. Mind Games by Nancy Mehl—This series opener features FBI behavioral analyst Kaely Quinn, whose career is ruined when she's ousted as the daughter of a serial killer. Starting over in a new city with a demotion to field agent, she gets caught up in a puzzling murder case. Mehl writes "faith-filled" mystery and suspense, so I'm hoping this one will be clean and uplifting, but also compelling. We'll see. (Challenge categories: First in a Series, Contemporary, Your Favorite Color on the Cover, Lesser-Known)
There you go. What do you think of my choices? Have you read any of them? Any suggestions for other books that might fit the challenge's prompts? What summery books are on your list today? I'd truly love to know. Leave me a comment on this post and I'll return the favor on yours.
Happy TTT!
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2026 Goodreads Reading Challenge
2024 - Elementary/Middle Grade Nonfiction
2023 - Middle Grade Fiction
2022 - Middle Grade Fiction
2021 - Middle Grade Fiction
2020 - Middle Grade Fiction
