I listened to I Am Malala because it was immediately available on LIBBY from the library and, while I enjoyed learning about Pakistan and the Taliban take over, it was a slow story. Because it was on audio, I was easily able to tune in and tune out without losing any of the content. So, I am glad I listened to it as it receives such rave reviews, but I am even more pleased that I chose audio as the medium as it kept the story moving more than it might have in reading. Curious about Malala and her story, grab the audiobook!

I was lucky enough to spend some time at my favorite bookshop this week – Island Bookstore. And, when you buy a book, you can take an ARC book with you. Kate Morton’s new one, The Clockmaker’s Daughter, was on the shelf – I couldn’t believe my luck! She’s a great choice if you like family sagas, mysteries, and tales that wrap up in a nice bow at the end. However, while this was a good story in the end, creative and surprising, overall, it was too long and had too many characters to keep track of. Because it required too much slogging through for too much of it, as much as I would like to, I can’t enthusiastically recommend it. If you are a fast reader and have some patience, you might want to pick it up in October.

The Music Shop by Rachel Joyce is a delight. Like The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry, Joyce develops characters that you enjoy meeting and root for. Frank owns a music shop on a rundown street and limps along with declining vinyl sales. He refuses to modernize but is able to choose just the right music that people need. Along comes Ilsa to upend his world. But slowly. Grab this one – it’s a sweet and nice summer choice.

Visible Empire by Hannah Pittard was OK, but not great. I didn’t really like any of the characters and the story didn’t really go anywhere. It’s ostensibly about the crash of a flight chartered to bring home over a hundred prominent Atlanta citizens from a trip to Europe. The story follows the family members left behind. It’s been written up all over the place as a great summer read, but it wasn’t for me.

Looking for a beach read? After I Do, by Taylor Jenkins Reid is a good one. Lauren and Ryan have reached the ho-hum doldrums of marriage and take a year off to figure out what to do. Meanwhile, Lauren has all kinds of other interesting things happening. It’s not too deep, but it’s a nice story that’s easy to read and enjoyable. Also, it’s old enough that it’s readily available at the library. Win, win, win.

I Was Anastasia by Ariel Lawhon was a good summer read. While I didn’t love the way the story jumped around and needed to read the Author’s Note at the end to really understand the ending, it was an excellent story and easy to read for the most part. It’s the back and forth story of Anastasia Romanov (daughter of the last tsar of Russia, killed along with her family in the Russian Revolution) and Anna Anderson, the woman who claimed she was Anastasia.

I kept hearing about Rebecca by Daphne de Maurier and I thought that I should have read it before now. So, I grabbed it. And, boy am I glad I did. What a great book. For those of you who haven’t read it, pick it up – it’s a quick and enjoyable read, full of suspense and good twists and turns. It has a slow and somewhat confusing start, but stick with it. It’s worth it. In short, the narrator begins as a paid companion to a wealthy woman. While on holiday with her companion in Monte Carlo, the narrator meets Max de Winter whose first wife died a year earlier at their estate, Manderley. The narrator and Max marry hastily and return to Manderley, where she must take over the daily details of running the estate, which she is poorly equipped to do. Add Rebecca’s history and the mystery surrounding her death, and you have the makings of a great story.

I listened to Between the World and Me by Ta-Nehisi Coates on a new app, Libby. I highly recommend Libby – it’s a great way to get books on tape from the library. Coates, in this compelling narrative, speaks to his son about being black in America. It’s a wonderfully written and depressing book. While it was nice to have in audible format (so I could listen to it in the car and while exercising), I wish I had read it instead. I find my mind wandering too much when listening to books on tape and miss things that I don’t think I miss when I am reading. However, I am glad I heard this book and highly recommend it.

Looking for a completely fluffy, mindless, romantic summer read? The Wedding Date by Jasmine Guillory is it. Alexa, the chief of staff for the mayor of San Francisco and Drew, a pediatric surgeon in L.A are trapped in an elevator together. Drew needs a date for a wedding that weekend and Alexa agrees to go with him. Romance flourishes, but as time goes on, is fraught with challenges. The story isn’t too deep and it’s honestly more Harlequin Romance than I usually like to read. However, on the beach in the summer, this one would be a good choice. Accept that fact that it’s not going to change your world, just provide a little reading candy.

I had high hopes for The Ensemble by Aja Gabel. It’s about a quartet of musicians who move in and out of each others’ lives over decades both professionally and personally. But, I didn’t love this one. The storyline was fine and it wasn’t a challenging read, but it fell flat for me. I didn’t love the characters and I couldn’t get lost in the story. It was well-written and, if you know anything about music, you will like it more than I did.