Of course, I read Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng because Reese Witherspoon chose it for her book club and, as previously mentioned, I am obsessed with her. I had read Everything I Never Told You and liked it as well (though I only gave it 3.5 stars – I must have been a harder critic in the earlier days). Little Fires Everywhere is the story of two families, one, just moved into Shaker Heights, and the other who has always lived there. One family, centered on single mom, Mia, is something of a mystery that gets unraveled through the course of the book. The other is the family meant to save Mia’s. The intersection and interplay of these two families make for a great read. I liked this even better than Ng’s first!

Saints for All Occasions by J. Courtney Sullivan is a wonderful book that I loved and couldn’t put down. It reminded me of Alice McDermott’s Charming Billy and Lisa Genova’s Inside the O’Brien’s. Saints for All Occasions is the story of Nora and her sister, Theresa, who move to America so Nora can marry Charlie. We learn this story first and then the story of Nora’s family, jumping back and forth from the 1950s to 2009. The secrets they keep, the compromises they make, all weave together to form a fascinating and wonderful, though sad, story.

Emma in the Night by Wendy Walker was not a favorite. As with many of my choices, it had a good premise but didn’t execute. Emma and her sister Cass disappeared three years ago. When Cass reappears, she tells a crazy story of what happened to them. A psychologist and detective slowly figure out the real story. There were too many characters whose stories never fully fleshed themselves out and the narcissistic mom wasn’t really believable either. I’d give this one a pass.

I was excited to read Young Jane Young by Gabrielle Zevin. I loved her previous work, The Storied Life of A. J. Fikry, reviewed here. Young Jane Young is told in multiple ways: email, blog, and traditional story. Aviva Grossman is a congressional intern who has an affair with her boss and blogs about it. When this comes to light, she is vilified and to escape, flees and lives the rest of her life under an assumed name (Jane Young) in Maine. While the story was light, funny, and interesting because of the various modes of telling, ultimately, I didn’t really care for the characters, and the book was only ho-hum.

I was looking for a quick read for the plane and I had The Perfect Stranger by Megan Miranda on my Kindle. And, while it was quick, I didn’t love it. I found the storyline confusing and the plot far-fetched. So, while I could get into the whole synopsis, I am not even going to bother (!). Skip it.

I have heard a lot about Louise Penny over the last few months, so I thought I would start her Inspector Gamache series. Still Life is the first in a long line of her mysteries. In this case (ha!), the crime takes place in a small village near Montreal – a beloved schoolteacher is murdered in the night with a bow and arrow. Armand Gamache is brought in to help the locals solve the mystery. For me, the book had too slow a start and too many characters of which to keep track. And, while I finally got into the story, I am not really a mystery person and don’t think I will pursue any of the rest of the series. I am glad, however, that I got a glimpse into what everyone seems to be talking about lately.

Most people have read A Tree Grows in Brooklyn at some point in their school careers. I, however, had not had the pleasure until this week. I challenged myself this summer to read a classic that I should have read before. And, while I didn’t get to it this summer, I narrowly pulled it out in the first week of school. It’s a quiet story about Francie, coming of age at the turn of the century in Williamsburg. And, for the first 250 pages, I couldn’t understand what all the hype was about. Sure, the language was beautiful, but there wasn’t much happening and, frankly, I was slogging through. The story and pace picked up at about the halfway point, though, and I found myself enjoying the book. I won’t say that this was a true favorite, but it was a good read and I’m glad I took it on and now have it in my wheelhouse of classics.

For the last read of the Summer of 2017, I chose Jane Green’s The Sunshine Sisters. Ronni Sunshine was a terrible mother – disinterested and narcissistic – while pursuing her own acting career. Not only did it drive her daughters away from her, but it also distanced them from each other. But, she is dying, and she pulls the three girls back together one last time so they can assist her. Each of the girls has reasons to leave her messy life and the week that they come home to help their mother changes all of their lives. This was a delightful, breezy read, perfect for the beach and the end of summer. It’s worth a read if you know what you are in for – nothing heavy and a happy ending. Disappointingly, I didn’t ever read the ONE classic I had on my list this year: A Tree Grows in Brooklyn. That’s next: perhaps appropriate for the start of the school year and a little less fluffy than my summer options were.

Oprah said if you read one book this Labor Day weekend, it should be Do Not Become Alarmed by Maile Meloy. Gayle Weisswaser of Everyday I Write the Book writes, “If you’re looking for a pure adrenaline read, Do Not Become Alarmed by Maile Meloy will definitely fit the bill. This summer novel book falls squarely into the Parent’s Worst Nightmare category of books, so be aware of what you’re getting yourself into if you pick it up.” Both of these are 100% true. It’s a rush of a book and you may not be able to put it down once you begin. Two families go on a cruise and take a day excursion when the children are kidnapped. Only one flaw for me was that one child’s whereabouts were not fully explained. Otherwise, it was, indeed, a pleasurable way to spend part of the last weekend of summer.

Two Days Gone by Randall Silvis is a good thriller. Thomas Huston, bestseller author and professor, seems to have the perfect family, house, and life. What caused him to suddenly kill his family and destroy this perfection? Investigator Ryan DeMarco (this is apparently the first in a series of DeMarco mysteries) admires Huston and believes he is innocent, but can’t quite put all the pieces together. And, DeMarco has his own complicated flaws, which I think will be fleshed out in later books. This was a quick and easy read, and well-done – I didn’t figure it out until close to the end. If you are looking for something that’s not too taxing (apparently my summer theme this year), this is a good choice.