I read about allegedly by tiffany d. jackson on Bustle’s “List of Books that Deserve Way More Buzz.” It’s the story of a 16-year-old girl who has been incarcerated and accused of killing a baby who was in her mother’s care. Did she do it? This is a fast-paced story, and definitely deserves more buzz than it received. It’s a tough tale to read, yet the pages keep turning because you want to know what’s going to happen to Mary, and, also, did she do it?

The Girl Before by JP Delaney is a thriller told in alternating chapters by two women who both occupied a house years apart. As the story unfolds, you learn about each woman’s life and why they found the house and how they are connected. The house is a character in the story, as is the strange architect who built it and stipulated hundreds of rules for those who rent it. This story was somewhat reminiscent of Fifty Shades of Gray and wasn’t too tough to figure out. While it was a quick and OK summer read, I wouldn’t go out of my way on this one.

All That’s Left to Tell by Daniel Lowe, is another from Bustle’s “Books That Deserve More Buzz.” This is the story of Marc, an executive, working in Pakistan, who is taken hostage, blindfolded, and visited mostly by Josephine. Weeks earlier, Marc’s daughter had been killed in the States and he had not gone home for the funeral. Josephine weaves a story that she tells Marc, of his daughter and what might have happened. The fictitious story and the real story come together so that you can’t tell what’s real and what’s fiction. It’s disarming. While I found the story somewhat interesting, I have to say that it didn’t strike me as that fascinating. And, I’d give it a miss over better books to choose this summer.

Rise and Shine, Benedict Stone by Phaedra Patrick (who also wrote The Curious Charms of Arthur Pepper, reviewed here) is the story of Benedict, who has just been left by his wife because they are unable to have a baby. He is overweight, down in the dumps, and estranged from his only relative, the brother he helped to raise when their parents died. Then along comes his brother’s daughter, escaping her own troubles, and things begin to turn around. Like Arthur Pepper, this charming book is a gem (no pun intended) and a light, enjoyable read (though a bit slow to start – stick with it).

We Were the Lucky Ones by Georgia Hunter, was the suggestion of my former colleague with all the good recommendations. While I said I would swear off WWII books this summer, I have to say, this was an amazing one – best book I have read in a long time. I dove right in and had a hard time not reading when there were other things to accomplish. This is the story of a Polish family and how they all fared throughout the war. Each story is interesting, they are easy to follow, and they weave together back and forth in a fascinating way. I thought about reading this book when I wasn’t reading it and was eager to find out what happened to each character. While the historical facts were hard to read (as they always are in WWII books), it was a surprise at the end to learn that the book was based on the author’s ancestor’s real history.

I picked up Eleanor Oliphant is completely fine by Gail Honeyman on Reese Witherspoon’s #RWBookClub’s recommendation. It turns out that she is also producing the movie adaptation, but nevermind – I like all of her recommendations (and really everything about her, but I digress…). Eleanor Oliphant reminded me of Ove in A Man Called Ove. And the book felt very similar as well. Eleanor has had a difficult life (foster homes, incarcerated/horrible mother, lack of social skills, and a generally sad existence). Things change when she and a co-worker save an elderly man’s life. Watching Eleanor struggle, change, and grow, is a delight. And Honeyman’s writing style is the perfect accompaniment to the story. I really enjoyed it – it’s a great choice for the summer.

The Good Widow by Liz Fenton and Lisa Steinke is a quick read – perfect for summer, particularly if you like a page-turning suspense. Jacks is caught off guard when police turn up at her house to tell her that her husband has died driving off the road in Maui. While hard to believe, Jacks and her husband’s mistress’ fiance head to Hawaii to put the pieces together to solve the mystery of their shattered lives. I am not going to say this is a stupendous read, but it’s fast and a decent story (though a little predictable). I was left only with the question about how these two authors worked together to write the story (did they alternate points of view, chapters?).

I liked The Women in the Castle by Jessica Shattuck, but I didn’t love it. Perhaps I am tapped out on WWII?? While I liked the characters and the threads of their lives, told over about 50 years, it just didn’t hold up to great ones like The Nightingale. The three main characters, Marianne, Benita, and Ania, are widows of men with various roles in Nazi Germany, including those who planned the failed assassination attempt on Hitler. Marianne is in charge and bands the others together in her castle to protect their children and each other in the aftermath of the Nazis’ defeat. There’s suspense here and interesting information which I didn’t know before reading. The book was well-written and researched, but it didn’t quite do it for me.

I picked up This is How it Always Is by Laurie Frankel on a recommendation from Modern Mrs. Darcy, Anne Bogel’s blog or podcast (I can’t remember which). If you have not checked out her work, you should. She’s a reader’s dream! This is How it Always Is is a story about Claude, the fifth boy in his family (who always wanted a girl), who wants to be a girl. The family keeps this information secret until they can’t anymore. It’s a heartwarming story with lovable characters and delightful writing. I couldn’t put it down and loved every minute of it. I highly recommend it.