Even the cover of The Rules of Love and Grammar by Mary Simses looks like a book that should be read in Maine. While it takes place in coastal Connecticut, the feeling is the same: summer and the shore. Grace has returned home after losing her boyfriend, her job, and her apartment. While home, she faces the demons of her sister’s untimely death and memories of an old love. At the same time, she creates new avenues for employment and mends ties with her family. The book was an easy summer read, but was too predictable ( you knew who she would end up with from early pages) and the author dangled the cause of Grace’s sister’s death over and over until you almost didn’t want to know how she died. So, nothing amazing, but a good way to while away the summer hours.

It wouldn’t be summer without a new Elin Hilderbrand novel. Here’s to Us centers around Deacon, who has passed away unexpectedly, his two ex-wives, his current wife, and all of their children. They have converged on Nantucket to scatter Deacon’s ashes and deal with the debt that will require them to sell the family house. Everyone’s lives are complicated and there’s a lot of animosity for them to all get through. This book was nothing earth-shattering, but, as usual for Hilderbrand, a decent summer choice.

I’m a sucker for a cheesy Emily Giffin novel and First Comes Love was another good one. Tragedy strikes the family Garland family in the prologue when first-born son, Daniel, is killed in a car crash. Fast-forward to the grown sisters, Josie and Meredith, their lives since the accident, and the choices they have made. While predictable and somewhat simplistic. First Comes Love was a good summer read.

100 Days of Happiness by Fausto Brizzi is a gem of a book. It’s a quick read, but sad from the beginning. Lucio finds out he has inoperable cancer after he has been thrown out of his family home because of his infidelity. So begins the story of his last 100 days, where he tries to settle his life affairs and win back the love of his life. It’s a tender story and one that will unexpectedly make you cry, even though you know what is going to happen at the end. This is a real winner.

This is Your Life, Harriet Chance by Jonathan Evison, reminded me of Fredrik Bachman’s books. While the character is different, the tone of voice was matter-of-fact and similar. We learn about Harriet’s life in the third person, and it is this narrated version that “talks” to Harriet throughout the story. In the book, chapters bounce back and forth from moments in her past, to her present life where she is on an Alaskan cruise, won by her deceased husband. Harriet has a lot to be thankful for in her life, it seems, until we begin to learn more about it and recognize all her regrets and mistakes. This book didn’t take long to read and was enjoyable, while also a little depressing.

I’m not sure how Every Last Tie: The Story of the Unabomber and His Family ended up on my “to-read” list. The memoir, written by his brother, David Kaczynski, is a slim volume that attempts to humanize his mentally ill brother, Ted. And, while it was an interesting tale, ultimately, I didn’t feel that I really gained insight into who Ted is and what compelled him to do what he did (which also could have been included in greater detail). Perhaps that is the point – that no one knows who Ted is or what made him do what he did. But, I left feeling no wiser than I had been before I started.

I was lucky enough to be chosen to pre-read Harmony by Carolyn Parkhurst for an online book club organized by Everyday I Write the Book blogger, Gayle Weiswasser. I had read Parkhurst’s Dogs of Babel a while ago and was eager to see what she did with this newest story. Harmony is the story of Iris and her sister, Tilly, who is on the spectrum. Iris has always lived in Tilly’s shadow – Tilly is the primary focus of their parents’ attention. This focus increases as Tilly ages and becomes more and more difficult to raise both at home and at school. When the family moves from DC to NH to join Scott Bean at his new Camp Harmony, things begin to go even more wrong. But, beautifully, as things fall apart, the sisters and the family grow together. Harmony is a wonderfully written book both about caring for an autistic child and also about family relationships. I liked how it jumped from place and time and was written in three perspectives, Iris’, Tilly’s, and the mom, Alexandra’s. I would absolutely add this to your “to-read” list.

As Close To Us As Breathing by Elizabeth Poliner is a lovely, lovely book. It’s quiet, but filled with interesting characters who you fall in love with as you read. The women in Molly’s family travel to the shore and stay for the summer with their children while the husbands join each Friday for Shabbos dinner. Each sister has her own unique life issues which are explored through Molly’s eyes. Throughout the novel there is too much foreshadowing of Molly’s little brother’s death. In addition, the story hops around in time, which makes it a bit confusing, but overall, I enjoyed this book and the characters within it.

June by Miranda Beverly-Whittenmore took a little bit for me to get into, but once I did, I enjoyed it. Cassie’s grandmother, June,  dies and Cassie leaves New York to move back to Ohio into June’s house. And then, a movie star she’s never met leaves her $37 million dollars. That man’s relatives contest the will, of course, and in the interim, Cassie finds out a lot about her family’s history. The end of the book went very quickly and was hard to put down. It was a perfect summer read.

I love Anne Tyler. Always have. She’s like comfort food – you always know you are going to get comfortable in a good read when you pick up one of her books. Vinegar Girl was a fun and light read – Taming of the Shrew in modern times. It would have been the perfect beach read.