Summer seems to be a laid-back season for most moms as school's out. It is time to relax on the deck, by the pool, or at the beach, and sit back with a good read. I have the following five books to recommend. Three are summer themed. One was released during the summertime. And one is to be released this summer!
"Park Avenue Summer" by Renee Rosen
This is a historical fiction about the 60s in New York City, told from the perspective of Helen Gurley Brown’s fictional assistant Alice. This book "takes readers through the tumultuous beginning of Helen’s thirty-two-year reign as Cosmopolitan’s editor-in-chief." (Source: BooksByWomen.org) I also found a strong connection with Alice because her mission is to be a photographer. I am very happy with the ending as she lands on her dream work. If you love books about empowering women, this is a great summer pick for you! Hint: be ready to do more research on Helen Gurley Brown as you read along. I find her story very inspiring!
"The Summer I Met Jack" by Michelle Gable
This is a historical fiction based on the real-life romance between Jack Kennedy and Alicia Corning Clark. I have to admit, how JFK is portrayed in this novel does make me feeling uncomfortable while reading the book, because I have always viewed him as a president. This novel gets very intimate about his personal life. Be ready to do lots of historical research as well. The novel will constantly keep you wondering: "Is this true? Or is this not true?"
"One Perfect Summer" by Brenda Novak
A much lighter read compared to the two historical fictions I just recommended. The story is about a true crime writer/blogger named Serenity who discovers her two half sisters, Reagan and Lorelei, through a DNA test she submits to an ancestry site. The three sisters, each with their own personal life struggles, decide to spend a summer at the Lake Tahoe cabin. There they help each other confront their past and determine how to move forward. The novel is quite contemporary and involves some hot topics today's society cares about.
"The Breakdown" by B. A. Paris
If you like thrillers, this book is for you! Released in summer 2017, it was named one of the most anticipated thriller novels of 2017 by Bustle! It is also a finalist for the 2018 International Thriller Writers Best Hardcover Thriller Award! I had very high expectations for this book because I LOVE B. A. Paris' Behind Closed Doors! If you get a chance to read both of them, let me know what you think. Which one you like better? You can send me an email.
"The Lions of Fifth Avenue" by Fiona Davis
This book will be released this summer! I am super excited about it. Fiona Davis is one of my favorite authors. I have read all the books she has published so far: The Dollhouse, The Address, The Masterpiece, and The Chelsea Girls. Fiona Davis is "a nationally bestselling author of historical novels set in iconic New York City buildings"(Source: Goodreads) and she writes stories to empower women. Through events organized by the bookclub I belong to, I have met Fiona in person twice! I cannot wait to read The Lions of Fifth Avenue and hope to meet with her again in the near future to chat about her books!
Book club dinner with Fiona to discuss her second book The Address, January, 2018, near The Dakota, which "remains among the toniest addresses in the Big Apple" (source: architecturaldigest.com).
Title image is from Scopio. Book cover images are taken from Amazon.com. Picture of book club dinner with Fiona is taken from Fiona's Facbook page.