There is nothing better than summer reading. These 10 books sat with me by the pool while my kids played the day away, came with me while we traveled to New Hampshire, England and Maine then helped me easy into the insanity of our fall schedule. With the new season approaching I am hoping that cooler weather will leave some time for curling up with ten new books while we usher in the changing of the leaves, football season and all things pumpkin.

31. “We Were Liars” by E. Lockhart

The Sinclair family are perfect on the outside. The affluent family has everything. Each Sinclair daughter has their own home on their private island near Martha’s Vineyard that they bring their family to summer at year after year. All three Sinclair daughters are divorced and are slyly battling each other to win their father’s affection to ensure their inheritance of the families fortune. Mirren, Johnny and Cadence, the oldest of the Sinclair grandchildren, as well as Gat, their aunt’s boyfriend’s son spend all of their days on the island together. Their carefree days of swimming and picnicking are disrupted by their mother’s scheming materialistic ways. The Liars decide to teach them all a lesson. I had a hard time getting into the flow of the author’s writing but you begin to understand the reason behind this as the story progresses. I find it hard to write much more about this book as it has quiet the plot twist that I don’t want to give away. I can honestly say that I didn’t see it coming…and I can usually figure out a good twist well before it happens. “We Were Liars” will be a quick read for your summer reading list.

32. “The Widow” by Fiona Barton

I’m a bit torn on this one. While the twists and turns of the story keep you reading to find out what really happened to two year old, Bella, the disturbing world the author brings you into makes it very difficult to stomach the content. Set in London in the early 2000’s, Bella Elliott is abducted from her front garden while her mother steps inside for a few minutes. With not much evidence to direct them towards a suspect, Detective Bob Sparkes eventually sets his sights on Glen Taylor, a down on his luck delivery driver who was in the area at the time of Bella’s disappearance. Now that Glen is dead his wife, Jeanie, is left to deal with the reporters and TV journalists that have shown back up at her front door hoping that she will give them an interview. Kate Waters is the lucky one that works her way into the Taylor house and begins to chip away at Jeanie’s high walls. If you are a fan of thrillers this one does keep you guessing. I wasn’t aware of this when I started the book but I would warn anyone that might be interested in reading this that the main plot of the book deals with the subject of child predators and pornography. The write-up on the back of the book doesn’t give any indication of this part of the plot so reader beware if this would be a topic you would avoid. “The Widow” is a well written book but was a difficult one to get through due to subject matter.

33. “The Alice Network” by Kate Quinn

The more I read about WW1/WW2 the more I realize how little I really knew about their inner workings. This dual perspective story takes place during WW1 following Evelyn (Eve) as she gets recruited by the British to be a member of The Alice Network, a group of female spies passing information throughout Europe in an attempt to outsmart the Nazi’s. The second narrator is Charlotte (Charlie), an American, who is searching for her cousin who went missing during WW2 in France. While Eve’s perspective takes us through her time during the WW1 and all of the dangers that she encountered while working for The Alice Network, Charlie’s search takes place after the Second World War has ended and Europe is picking up its strewed pieces. Written during Charlie’s time, the two women form an unlikely alliance when Eve’s name is given to Charlie in her quest to find out what really happened to Rose. Charlie, Eve and Eve’s “assistant in all things” Finn set off on a journey to uncover long buried secrets. To say that I loved this book is an understatement. Kate Quinn has given her characters life with vivid descriptions and heart. You will instantly become invested in what becomes of this unusual trio. My only caution about picking up this book is to prepare for late nights ahead as you will not want to put it down. “The Alice Network” is perfect for those historical fiction lovers who want to learn more about history that is not widely discussed. Nothing like a great book written by a talented female writer with strong, independent women leading the charge. While the majority of the characters in this book are fictionalized, there are a few real people Quinn included in her book. Read on through the Author’s Notes to hear the brave, true stories of the real Alice Network heroes.

34. “A Separation” by Katie Kitamura

Okay. Several things to say about “A Separation” really. What stood out to me first and foremost was that the author doesn’t use quotation marks – at all – throughout the book. Yes, there is dialog but not a single quotation mark to be seen. Not even once. It completely threw me at first and then it just annoyed me. I know that it was because the story was being told from the main character’s perspective but having never encountered a book like this before it certainly took some getting used to. Second, the entire book is written with the main characters voice. You don’t hear from another character during the entire book. So much so, that you don’t even know what the main character’s name is. She is just a nameless woman in her thirties. She goes off on tangents and speaks as though she is a human thesaurus constantly overthinking and overanalyzing what people’s expressions mean. It’s slightly exhausting. This unnamed woman and her husband Christopher decide to separate but keep it private from their friends and family upon his request. Christopher’s mother calls to find out what is going on as she hasn’t been able to reach her son. The wife says he is doing “research” for his new book and isn’t sure where he is. Christopher’s mother reveals that he is in Greece and begs her to go in search of him as she feels something isn’t right. Things from there spiral as the wife realizes that her husband isn’t who she thought he was. I have no idea how this book is being billed as “The next Gone Girl” as the two books couldn’t be more opposite. Out of the 34 books I have read so far I can honestly say that I enjoyed this the least. On to 35…

35. “Three Wishes” by Liane Moriarty

Liane Moriarty has written another great read with “Three Wishes”. The Kettle triplets are about to turn 34 and their birthday dinner turns into something of a legend. Their family dynamic has always been a complicated one starting from their conception! As similar as Cat, Lyn & Gemma are in appearance their lives couldn’t be more different. Lyn is a successful business owner, married to Michael – a man who was already married when they met. Together they have a one year old daughter and Michael’s teenage daughter, Kara, lives with them. Cat works in advertising at a chocolate company and would give anything to start a family with her husband, Dan. Gemma, known as the drifter in the family, is still trying to figure out her life after a tragedy derails her plans for the future. She has no “real” career to speak of and fills her time as a house-sitter. Flashes of their lives as young girls dealing with their parents divorce at age six, then again as teenagers helping each other through first heartbreaks gives the reader a glimpses at the Kettle girls inseparable bond. If you are looking for a read with a feel-good ending, pick up a copy of “Three Wishes”.

36. “Dark Matter” by Blake Crouch

Jason Dessen was a brilliant scientist on the verge of a major breakthrough in his career, his wife was an up and coming artist – then Daniela got pregnant and they gave up on their careers to start a family together. Neither of them regretting the choice they made even as their former colleagues gain notoriety that was destined to be theirs once upon a time. One night, Jason gets abducted on his way home. When he awakes he finds himself in an unfamiliar place. Everyone seems to know who he is and they are celebrating his “return”. Is this just a side-effect of being hit on the head by his attacker or is this all really happening? Jason discovers that in this “world” he and his wife never married, his son never born but professionally he accomplished everything he ever imagined. Something he only dream of. “Dark Matter” explores the theory of mutli-universes and what life would have been like if you had chosen a different path? What if you had chosen a different college, accepted another job, married a different person? This book explores how much each decision we make shapes us and those we love. Jason Dessen wants nothing more than to get his life back…no matter what the cost. Blake Crouch has written an absolute page turner. I read this book in a day because I just couldn’t put it down. Crouch is also currently working on the screenplay for this book. Can’t wait to see what they do with the movie version of this great read.

37. “The Memory Keeper’s Daughter” by Kim Edwards

The book begins in Louisville, Kentucky one winter’s night in 1964. Doctor David Henry is forced to deliver his own twins in the middle of a blizzard with the assistance of a single nurse, Caroline Gill. Paul, born first is healthy and perfect but Norah and David Henry are caught off guard when a second baby, Phoebe, comes unexpectedly joins her brother minutes later. At first look, David can tell that his daughter has Down Syndrome. Without a moments hesitation, David tells Caroline to take Phoebe away to an institution and asks her to never speak of it again. Caroline obliges but upon her arrival decides that she cannot leave this beautiful new baby in a facility with no one to love her. Caroline whisks Phoebe away to start a new life where no one knows them. Both David and Caroline’s decisions that night change their lives forever as well as those around them. David’s wife never really recovering from the “death” of her daughter, David buried by the guilt of his secrets, Paul carrying the expectations of two children from his demanding father – the Henrys pass the next quarter-century without much peace. Caroline becomes a champion for Phoebe and all children with Down Syndrome fighting for their equality and inclusion while trying to give her everything she can. Beautifully written “The Memory Keeper’s Daughter” is a heart-wrenching story.

38. “Adnan’s Story: The Search for Truth and Justice After Serial” by Rabia Chaudry

For those in the podcast loving community the name Adnan Syed should be a familiar one. The State vs Adnan Syed was the subject of the first season of the This American Life podcast Serial and following that Undisclosed, which is co-hosted by the author of this book, Rabia Chaudry along with two other lawyers Colin Miller and Susan Simpson. For those not in the know, in January 1999, Adnan Syed was a senior at Woodlawn High School in Baltimore, Maryland when his ex-girlfriend Hae Min Lee was murdered. In February of 2000, Adnan was convicted of the crime and sent to prison for life plus 30 years. The investigation into the crime is what is Serial, Undisclosed and this book dives in to. Having been introduced to Serial back in 2015, I felt that Sarah Koenig largely left her opinion out of the narrative and let the listener interpret the evidence for themselves. After listening to all 12 episodes it was my opinion that it seemed unlikely that Syed could have carried out the crime the way that the State said he did. Could I say for certain that he was innocent, no, but I found the State’s narrative to be to circumstantial and speculative at best with no real concrete evidence to point at to say firmly that Syed was guilty. Based on the trial tapes that were aired on the podcast you can understand how a jury could have been confused into returning a guilty verdict, Adnan’s attorney Cristina Gutierrez was under-prepared, scattered and at times completely incoherent. Listening to her for hours on end must have been daunting and extremely hard to follow. In the months that follow Adnan’s conviction, it comes out that Gutierrez was in the beginning stages of a terminal illness while she was representing him and ends up getting herself disbarred in 2001. Chaudry, Miller and Simpson take the case to the next level in Undisclosed. Susan Simpson’s attention to detail when going back over the court documents helps uncover glaring inconsistencies in the State’s case, evidence that was never properly investigated as well as “witness” that were less than credible. Thanks to this team and Adnan’s current attorney Justin Brown uncovering new evidence, Syed was granted another attempt to prove his innocence when in June of 2016 his conviction was overturned. His case will now go before the Court of Special Appeals later this year, and a final decision about Syed’s freedom delivered no later than August 31, 2019. Fans of the podcasts will be excited to learn that HBO will be airing a docuseries about Adnan’s case and all that has been discovered since Serial aired later this year. In the end, the Baltimore police failed the Lee family. Whether guilty or not (though after learning about the evidence discovered in the years after his trial, I do believe in Adnan’s innocence), the Baltimore police did not do their due diligence in their investigation. Too many loose ends were left untied, too many pieces of evidence went untested, were lost or never looked for, too many suspects were not looked into (namely Don, the current boyfriend of Lee)…I could go on. Is Rabia bias in her “conclusion” at the end of the book, sure, but you can’t argue facts and in my opinion the facts just don’t show beyond a shadow of a doubt that at Adnan Syed is guilty of this crime. If you have followed this case, let me know your thoughts.

39. “A Simple Favor” by Darcey Bell

Mommy-blogger Stephanie was desperate for a friend after the loss of her husband and half-brother in a tragic accident. When Emily walks into her life it’s like her prayers have been answered. Meeting by chance one rainy day while picking up their sons at school the four quickly become inseparable. Emily asks Stephanie for a simple favor – does she mind picking up Nicky from school and keeping him until she can get there later that evening. Having done this countless times before, Stephanie thinks nothing of it. When hours turn into days without Emily returning for Nicky, Stephanie begins to panic. She contacts Emily’s husband on his business trip in London who upon his return decides it’s time to call the police. Where is Emily? Did something happen to her or has she willingly walked away from her family? Without giving too much away I’ll say this…no one needs a friend like Emily. First time author, Darcey Bell has given readers a deliciously twisty story to contemplate long after the last page. Her novel will have you second guessing how much of your life you should share with those around you. I cannot wait to see the movie! I had a hard time picturing Anna Kendrick in the role of Stephanie after reading Bell’s description of her but Blake Lively seems perfectly cast – like Emily was written for her. Definitely add this one to you must-read list.

40. Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery

Anne Shirley came to Avonlea completely by accident. Matthew and Marilla Cuthbert were expecting a boy to help around their property, Green Gables. However, once she was there they just couldn’t bring themselves to send her back to the orphan asylum in she came from. Anne’s flighty personality is always getting her into trouble but how can one be expected to concentrate with such beauty surrounding them. Anne is the quintessential dreamer. She has the ability to turn the most every day activities into a glorious adventure. Montgomery’s vivid descriptions and romantic prose make you want to step back in time to spend an afternoon walking Lovers Lane or sitting by the Lake of Shining Waters. For book 40 I wanted to go back to the roots of what sparked my love for reading in the first place. As a little girl my parents introduced me to the world of Anne Shirley and her scope for imagination. I can remember vividly watching the CBC movie with them and having my first crush on Gilbert Blythe. (I mean, who didn’t fall for Gil?!) I am holding on to this story to share with my own daughter until the time is right. I hope she loves these characters as much as I do. The Anne series is a must read.

Til next time,

E