3 great books I read over the summer

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“A reader lives a thousand lives before he dies. The man who never reads lives only one.

-George R. R. Martin

I spent a lot of time reading over the summer. My favorite part of reading is that it takes me to another place, and allows me to live someone else’s life for awhile. Reading has been a wonderful coping mechanism for me the last couple of years. It is a safe place to land when everything seems to be going wonky around me. I enjoyed all three of these books and I hope this blog helps when you are on the hunt for your next book.

The Paper Palace a novel by Miranda Cowley heller

The Paper Palace by first time novelist Miranda Cowley Heller is much darker than it’s pastel colored cover lets on. The book jacket synopsis seemed to promise a light love story, but this book is anything but light. Elle the protagonist is a 53 year old happily married mother of three. Her dilemma is choosing between her husband and her first love, who also happens to be her best friend. The whole story happens in one day, but Heller uses flashbacks from the past to weave an intriguing and engaging story that is hard to put down.

Miranda Cowley Heller is a talented writer. She has written a beautiful story, and she is adept at creating unique, idiosyncratic characters that could be people you know in real life.

I took this book on my vacation over the summer. I thought it was a light romance, but it is actually a heart felt and soul wrenching piece of literary fiction. It was not what I was expecting, but I enjoyed it immensely and I highly recommend it.

Nine Perfect Strangers by Liane Moriarty

Nine Perfect Strangers by Australian writer Liane Moriarty is definitely a page turner. It was made into a television series for Hulu and it just started streaming. I haven’t watched the series yet, but it is on my list. This is a character driven story, but it also has elements of a mystery. It puts nine strangers together at a high end “spa retreat” for ten days.

It takes a deep dive into each character’s back story, and the reasons they have ended up at the retreat. Overall, I liked this book, but it was slow moving in places and the character’s were not as interesting as I would have liked. It does pick up and get suspenseful toward the end. I recommend it, but of the three books, it was my least favorite.

Writers & Lovers by Lily King

Writers & Lovers by Lily King is an amazing book and my favorite of the three. I had never read a book by Lily King before, and I found this one by taking the recommendation of an employee at Barnes & Noble. Lily King has written a lot of books and I am looking forward to reading each and every one. She is one of the best writers I have read in awhile. Writer’s & Lovers is also a character driven story. (If you haven’t figured it out yet, character driven books are my favorite.)

Casey Peabody, our protagonist, is a struggling writer. She is in her late twenties, living in Boston and waiting tables. She has not given up on her dream of being a successful writer as most of her contemporaries have. It is the story of an artist living her dream and all the struggles that accompany not taking the safe route in life.

The book is set in the neighborhood in Boston where I went to college, so it was a bit of a walk down memory lane for me. Lily King’s writing is sublime. I have read several sentences from the book out loud to my son (who is also a writer) because I am astounded at the innate beauty of her writing. If you can’t tell already, I highly recommend this book.

I think reading books is one of the best parts of life and I hope that this blog has helped you find at least one book that you can add to your reading list. Happy reading!!

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