I loved The Resurrection of Joan Ashby by Cherise Wolas (though the cover is so awful that I never would have picked it up) and am so glad a St. Patrick’s parent recommended it to me. While is is dauntingly long, you will be glad you read it, should you take it on. On the surface, the story is about Joan Ashby, famous author, who agrees with her then boyfriend that they never want to have children. And, of course, the inevitable happens, which changes the course of their lives together. It’s a tale of love, loss, redemption, and writing/books. It was my favorite book so far this year (a year sadly absent of five-star reviews).

The Age of Light by Whitney Scharer is the story of a Vogue photographer and writer, Lee Miller, who decides that she would rather create art than be the subject of it. Miller has been a footnote in history because of her relationship with Man Ray, but this book brings her to life in a wonderful way and was a great and enjoyable piece of historical fiction.

The Songbird by Marcia Willett reminded me of Maeve Binchy. It takes place in a small village and the main character lives in a cottage. Tim leaves his job and friends to move to a small town to escape his life-threatening illness diagnosis. In the interim, he finds a family and learns to love his life. I loved the cover of this book and, while the story wasn’t scintillating, it moved along and kept me interested.

More Than Words by Jill Santopolo is a good beachy read, but not as good as her previous work, the light we lost. More Than Words is a romance about Nina Gregory whose father dies and leaves her the family hotel empire. Of course, she learns secrets after his death which threaten her well-being, her relationships, and her sense of purpose. It’s a quick read that flows, but there’s nothing special here. And, while it’s a good summer read, I wouldn’t go out of your way unless you get it cheap for Kindle or from the library.

Big Stone Gap by Adriana Trigiani has been on my to-be-read pile for a long time. It took me a while to get through (my reading has been remarkably slow at this busy time of my work year), but I am glad I stuck with it. It was an enjoyable story about a single pharmacist living in a small town who finds out that her father is not her father. Relationships are at the center of this novel and, while it wasn’t a five-star book, it was certainly a good read.

Leave No Trace by Mindy Mejia was a decent mystery, but not something to run out and grab. We first meet Maya, a language therapist, who is treating Lucas. Lucas is in a psychiatric facility because he showed up out of nowhere after being missing (along with his father) for the last ten years. We learn and understand what Maya and Lucas have in common and why she is drawn to him. I kept reading this one because I wanted to find the conclusion to the mystery, but I didn’t love it.

The Last Romantics by Tara Conklin is a family story that switches back and forth from 2074 to the 1980s/90s. The Skinner family loses its patriarch early in the book and the rest of the book describes what happens because of that loss. It’s about sibling relationships, lies, and life choices. I really enjoyed it and read it quickly. I’d add it to your TBR pile.

The Overstory by Richard Powers started off with a bang. And, for the first half, I loved it. However, it dragged from about halfway through until the end. It begins as a bunch of short stories about people and trees. Then the stories begin to intertwine. The initial stories and characters were so interesting, and then the pace just got slower and slower until I found myself racing through to get to the end. Ultimately, I was disappointed in this one, though I give it three stars because it started off so well.

The Red Address Book by Sofia Lundberg was a good WWII read that wasn’t too WWII heavy. 96-year-old Doris lives alone in Sweden. She skypes with her grand-niece, Jenny, her only living friend/relative. Through the novel we learn about Doris’ life through the pages of her address book. It’s a sweet story and a nice, short read. I enjoyed it.

Grab Inheritance by Dani Shapiro immediately if you are looking for a beautiful and heartwrenching book. It’s a fascinating memoir, a quick read, and a unique exploration. Author Dani Shapiro discovers in 2016 that her father is not really her biological father. As she researches her paternity, she grapples with genealogy, parenthood, family, and memory. It’s a wonderful book – in many moments, I found myself in tears.