Summer Suggestions: Current Books

If you're looking forward to delving into a few good books this summer and eager for reading suggestions then look no further! You might want to pick up a book that's fresh off the presses or get into one of the tried and true classic books on the proverbial must-read list.

CURRENT BOOKS

REMEMBER ME by Sophie Kinsella

The author of the Shopaholic series of books takes the reader on Lexi Smart's intriguing tour to retrieve her memory. She awakes in a hospital bed after a car accident but the kicker is she's missing three years of her life. The story is an adventure filled with schemes and secrets, hilarity and hope.

CHANGE OF HEART by Jodi Picoult

The critically acclaimed author writes a dynamic novel about justice, retribution and salvation. June Nealon has an empty heart after the tragic loss of her daughter. Shay Bourne has lost his reason to live but finds truth and connection in an unlikely situation. The story addresses the literal and metaphorical meaning of having a heart.

THE THIRD ANGEL by Alice Hoffman

The author's novel Here On Earth has the distinction of being on the Oprah Book Club list. In The Third Angel the reader is introduced to women with the common bond of being in love with the wrong man. Madeleine is headstrong and in love with her sister's fiance. Freida is a free spirit who vies for the attention of a rock star. Bryn is torn between her fiance and her ex-husband. At the heart of the story is the tragic character Lucy who is looking for the third angel to help renew her faith. The novel is a testament to the griping nature of love.

HELPLESS by Barbara Gowdy

Bestselling author Barbara Gowdy writes a story about obsessive love. It's not a romance novel but rather a troubling tale. Celia is a single mother to nine year old Rachael who goes missing during a blackout. Stricken with guilt and terror, Celia's worst nightmares come true in the form of a misguided abductor. Suspenseful and provocative, the novel takes the reader down an uncomfortable path into a disturbing world.

CERTAIN GIRLS by Jennifer Weiner

A sequel to Good In Bed, Weiner's Certain Girls takes up where heroine Cannine Shapiro started her new life. Content in her happily ever after life Cannine's world is shook when her daughter Joy discovers her novel. Joy begins to question everything about her family and herself. The novel is about lies, loss and love in a family that just wants to be happy.

SUNDAY AT TIFFANY'S by James Patterson

Jane is a lonely girl who wishes her busy mother had more time for her. She has a friend named Michael. He's a funny, handsome and comforting man. If that's not unusual enough there's also the twist that only Jane can see him. Later in her thirties Jane becomes reacquainted with Michael but for reasons unknown to her. Sunday At Tiffany's is a novel about the power of love and the child inside of us.

A NOVEL ABOUT MY WIFE by Emily Perkins

Tom Stone is madly in love with his wife Ann but she's a mystery to him. He wants to understand her; get into her head. The couple has a complicated and emotional relationship as they deal with their new home and a new pregnancy. The novel explores the meaning behind the term "love makes you blind" as Tom discovers his wife's darker side.

LOVING FRANK: A NOVEL by Nancy Horan

A mixture of fact and fiction, the author tells the tale of the clandestine love affair between Mamah Borthwick Cheney and the renowned architect Frank Lloyd Wright. Cheney narrates her personal struggle between her responsibilities and her desires. Cheney's influence on the greatest American architect of his time is given it's full weight despite the scandal they're involvement brought to Chicago's society. A fascinating and provocative read with a stunning conclusion.

Summer Suggestions: Classic Books

CLASSIC BOOKS

THE HANDMAIDS TALE by Margaret Atwood
In this futuristic science fiction novel Atwood writes about sex slavery in the former United States. The heroine Offred recalls a different time when her life was her own. Now she is only viable as long as she can produce children. The novel inspired a movie which shocked society as much as the novel.

TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD by Harper Lee
An instant best seller set inthe Depression era's American South, To Kill A Mockingbird continues to be an all-time favorite. The story is told through the eyes of eight year old Scout Finch. The author gets to the root of human behavior dealing with issue of race and class and tackles views on humanity, dignity, justice and freedom.

A TALE OF TWO CITIES by Charles Dickens
Set in London during the American revolution and Paris during the French Revoution, A Tale Of Two Cities takes the reader back to a time when spies were thought to be everywhere. Considered a classic and brimming with quotable lines such as "It was the best of times, it was the worst of times..." Dickens' novel captures the readers attention from start to finish.

ANNA KARENINA by Leo Tolstoy
A passionate but misguided love affair introduces issues of morality. The author own soul-searching journey asks many questions but leaves it open for the reader to interpret and answer. Still relevant in today's world, this intrguing novel still stands the test of time.

THE LIVES OF GIRLS AND WOMEN by Alice Munro
A coming-of-age story traces Del Jordan from awkward adolescence to wanton womanhood. Vivid and touching in it's details the highly acclaimed novel is a must read for every woman. It's well worth reading any books written by Alice Munro since they're sure not to disappoint.

The Complete Novels Of Jane Austen
If you're drawn to romances then this author will get you swooning. While away the summer days with the complete collection of Jane Austen's novels Sense and Sensibility, Pride And Prejudice, Emma, Mansfield Park, Persuasion, Northanger Abbey and Lady Susan. Connversation driven and full of dialogue suited to a play, several of Austen's novels have been made into movies which are worth watching as well.

ANIMAL FARM by George Orwell
A satirical political allegory about the uprising of mistreated farm animals. The animals take over the farm in a revolution toward justice and equality. All goes well until the pigs gets out of hand. The quote "Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely" rings true for this novel.

THE GREAT GATSBY by F. Scott Fitzgerald
A novel set in the Jazz Age wrought with excess and greed. Jay Gatsby has money and all it can buy but he's not satisfied. What he really wants is Daisy but she's married to Tom. The story is a testament to Fitzgerald's generation but also a timeless cautionary tale about the pursuit of the American Dream.