Run out immediately and buy this book. I write this as tears roll down my cheeks – it was that moving and that good. It was so simple and at the same time so wonderful. It is remarkable to me that All You Could Ask For was written by a man. The whole book was about women and breast cancer, and yet, it was all written by Mike Greenberg who is known for his ESPN show, “Mike & Mike in the Morning.” I kept looking back at the cover to be sure. He really nailed it. It reminded me of She’s Come Undone where Wally Lamb really got it too and caught the voice and perspective perfectly (I really should read that again – it is one of my all-time favorites). I could nitpick about a few things that bothered me as I read, but I won’t because there is no need. After reading the final chapter explaining his inspiration, I loved the book even more. What a wonderful tribute to what must have been an amazing woman. All of us will be better off by having read this one.

I could not put this book down. I love Julia Glass and And the Dark Sacred Night was absolutely wonderful – I cannot heap enough praise on it. Kit goes looking for his father, who his mother has only told him is dead, and brings his fractured family together. If you have read any of Glass’ other books, you will know she fully fleshes out her characters, and provides depth to their stories. I loved tracing the individuals’ pasts and following their stories. It’s a long one, but you’ll love every minute of it.

I enjoyed You Are One of Them by Elliott Holt more because of the DC connection than anything else. It was a good story (Cold War, spies, defection, etc.), made more interesting because it was based on the true story of Samantha Smith, the American girl who wrote a letter to Yuri Andropov asking for peace in 1982. Holt’s writing was a bit precious and the characters and scenes not fleshed out enough for me. I was left wanting and didn’t buy into a lot of what happened. The ending, too, was a little abrupt. But, remembering the 80s and 90s in DC (Cleveland Park, NCS, Au Pied du Cochon, etc.) was a treat. I also enjoyed the feeling of Moscow and Holt’s descriptions of the people and places there. She definitely nailed the stark, cold, dirty feeling I had when I was there in 1989. You Are One of Them is worth a read for nostalgia’s sake.

Emma Donoghue had a lot to live up to after her wonderful and disturbing, Room. And, she did a fabulous job on the follow up, Frog Music. This story was completely different from Room, but equally gripping. I thought about reading all day today and was able to finish the book in three days. I couldn’t believe, in reading the afterward, that it was based on a true story. I highly recommend you run out and grab this one.

Like many books that end up on my list, I have no idea where I got this recommendation. But I became quickly engrossed in We Are All Completely Beside Ourselves by Nancy Joy Fowler. Even though there was quick engagement, the story was too implausible to me and the main character careened out of control in an annoying way. I didn’t like any of the people in this book, but I did want to find out what happened in the end, so I did finish it. The premise of the story of a chimp living as a member of the family for 5 years and then mysteriously disappearing was just a little too much.

Looking for something mindless where every plot line is tied up satisfactorily in a neat little bow? Looking for a ridiculously quick and silly beach read?  Island Girls by Nancy Thayer is it. As much as I hated that I liked this book, I did. It was amusing and a good, if predictable and syrupy, read.

This was a super quick read and PERFECT for the beach. Yes, you could see the action coming a mile away. Yes, the ending tied up in a neat little bow. Yes, the hurricane at the end (how topical for this particular summer vacation) was melodramatic. But, it was a fun read and right up the summer-beach-read alley, if you are looking for something good. I am glad I found this one at the library.

I very much enjoyed The Engagements by J Courtney Sullivan. In a nutshell, this book spans the 20th century and beginning of the 21st. It starts with the story of the advertising copywriter behind the De Beers slogan “Diamonds Are Forever.” It then weaves the stories of several couples and their histories, failures, and triumphs and connects them with diamonds. The storytelling was creative and the storylines compelling. The stories intertwined a little at the end, but I would have loved a little more. Nevertheless, by the time I got to the end, I really didn’t mind because the book was so enjoyable. I highly recommend this one as another good summer read.

Who doesn’t love a good Laura Lippman?! After I’m Gone was a good one. Gripping and fast, I was through it in two days. While it wasn’t my favorite of her books, I did enjoy it and it was great for the beach. My reviews are getting shorter and shorter as I read more and more at the beach. With this trip nearing an end, I suspect I won’t be getting through as much material. It’s been nice while it lasted!

Well. I don’t know where this recommendation came from, but I am glad I found this book at the library last week. I don’t think that it otherwise would have risen to the top of my list, but, boy am I glad I grabbed it. A fast-paced thriller was just what I needed to speed me through. I read this in about a 10 hour period. I loved it. A great, hair-raising tale, I couldn’t stop reading until I had found out what happened. And, I couldn’t have figured out all the (ridiculous) plot twists if I had tried. A super beach read, I highly recommend for a fun and quick summer choice.