I don’t think Megan Abbot is for me. Though I can’t find a record of it, the last book of hers I read, You Will Know Me, wasn’t much to my liking either. Give Me Your Hand had an interesting start – back and forth in time from high school to present day – in the life of Kit, a research scientist. Her “friend,” Diane, has come into her life right at the pinnacle of the rise in her career. Diane shared a secret with Kit in high school that has always haunted Kit and could be her ultimate undoing as an adult. This story could have been better than it was. Not only was it flat and not thrilling enough, but you could see the twist coming a mile away. If I were you, I would give this one a skip.

I liked Fiona Davis’ The Address and thought her newest, The Masterpiece, would be a good read. It’s the story of Clara and Virginia, who live 50 years apart and work in Grand Central Station. Clara is an artist with The Grand Central School of Art. Virginia works in the Information Booth. Their stories are told in parallel while intersecting. While I enjoyed this read, it wasn’t great –  too predictable and flat.

As we mourn the end of summer, I recap my favorite reads. There weren’t any amazing selections like The Nightingale this year, but there were some good choices. Here are the 4.5 star books. Sadly, there were no 5s this summer.

Convenience Store Woman by Sayaka Murata was recommended by Modern Mrs. Darcy. It’s a tiny volume and a very quick read. And, it was a complete delight. It’s the story of a woman who has made a career out of being a convenience store worker. Spare in style, but thoughtful and deep, it’s a great choice for an in-between-longer-choices break.

I’m not sure how Harry’s Trees by Jon Cohen ended up on my “to be read” list, but I’m glad it did. It’s a great story of a widow and widower who find each other after rather ridiculous circumstances and heal together. While it had a slow start, it was worth sticking with it. A delightful story, clever, and sweet.

Looking for a great end-of-summer-fast-guilty-pleasure? Ghosted by Rosie Walsh is it. It felt like Bridget Jones Diary, the Rosie Project and other similar chick lit pieces. And, at the same time, it was a surprise, unexpected, flip-the-story-on-its-head, light, and fun. The mystery kept me going and made it a very quick read that was hard to put down (and made me stay up late). I highly recommend you grab this one!

Missoula: Rape and the Justice System in a College Town by Jon Krakauer was, as you might expect, a depressing and alarming read. I like Krakauer’s style, even though I don’t usually read much non-fiction. And, if you are looking for more knowledge about college/date rape, read this one. It’s interesting on a legal front and controversial. I found it eye-opening.

I’m not sure how The Lost Vintage by Ann Mah ended up on my list, but I am glad it did. It’s the story of Kate, a sommelier who is studying for the Master of Wine exam and who travels back to France to study and help her cousin clean out the basement of their family estate/vineyard. In the cleaning, they discover secrets about their family and Kate’s life takes an unexpected turn. Alternate chapters are the journal entries of one of Kate’s family members from WWII. This is a good story, though a little slow. I really enjoyed the last 100 pages and would recommend it as a good summer choice.

Clock Dance was another summer disappointment. I used to love Anne Tyler, and fondly remember reading her early works. This quiet story, however, didn’t do it for me. The only thing I liked about the book was the last paragraph where there was finally hope for the main character. She was so depressing otherwise (which was the point, of course). Willa answered the call of the neighbor of her son’s ex-girlfriend. The ex had been accidentally shot and was in the hospital, so Willa flew out to Baltimore to take care of the ex’s daughter even though the daughter was not Willa’s granddaughter. There’s not much to the story and it’s not poorly told, it’s just listless and a bit boring. I’d give this one a skip if I were you. Hopefully, my next read will be more enjoyable.

I could not put down Baby Teeth by Zoje Stage. In fact, I talked it up endlessly to our vacation hosts and passed it along before we left. Hanna hates her mom and wants to kill her. She is selectively mute except when she plays the part of a woman who was burned at the stake as a witch. Things escalate and you can’t wait to find out what happens. This is a great thriller – I’d grab it before you head to the beach or on your last hurrah vacation.