Joyce's Choices

BY JOYCE B. WILCOX

What’s the definition of a good beach read? If you research this term, you find it has various meanings and expectations from different readers because everyone has favorite genres and authors that they enjoy reading in the summer. So, a good beach read need not be exclusively a romance novel that takes place while on holiday. It basically needs to be a book that you’re willing to take to the beach to read. To me, eir common threads weave the way through three key factors:

*Stories that take place in vacation destinations, glamorous settings, or involve exciting trips

*Action packed, page turning chapters to keep the reader from napping on the beach

*Memorable characters with relatable troubles that drown out other activities on the beach

So, pack your beach bag with at least one of these novels and book your trip!

The Rumor by Elin Hilderbrand

If you’re looking for the queen of hearts, sometimes you have to look no further than the hand you’re dealt at bridge club or the euchre table. If you’re looking for the Queen of the Beach Read, however, it’s the library shelf containing novels by Elin Hilderbrand that you’ll be checking out. The beaches of Nantucket, the lives of the rich and famous, as well as the lives of the-not-so-richand-famous, are intricately, deliciously, and spicily revealed in Hilderbrand’s The Rumor. Secrets that sizzle; tales that entangle; and friendships that flounder; the only things missing from this enjoyable chick-lit read are your beach chair and a glass of wine.

Best friends Madeline and Grace appear to live ideal lives on Nantucket with their husbands, children, friends, and extended families; but such is not always the case. House parties, days at the beach, and Saturday night double dates with their husbands aren’t enough to keep these two out of trouble. While Madeline is the mother of a busy high school senior son, she’s also a budding novelist with writer’s block, and the wife of a pilot frequently away from home. When she surreptitiously seeks her storyline inspirations from neighbors and friends, her troubles mount. Grace is busy running the household and raising twin adolescent daughters, but apparently, she’s not busy enough. While her husband works long hours as a real estate developer attempting to find his big break, Grace turns to gardening to occupy her days. She also turns to the handsome landscape architect she’s hired. Adults will be adults; children will be children; and neighbors will be neighbors. Gossip will result; rumors will escalate; and you dear reader, will be hooked.

What better book to take to the beach this summer than a novel which takes place from Memorial Day through Labor Day in a quaint vacation setting? The High Season is rich with homegrown charm, steeped in picturesque scenery, and populated with fascinating renters and locals. All that’s missing is the “Welcome to Canadian Lakes” sign because that’s been replaced by

“Welcome to Long Island’s peaceful North Fork” sign. This novel is a treasuretrove of drama from vacationers of all ages, interests, and walks of life. It’s a riveting read about living on both sides of the tracks and the lengths folks will go to cross the social bridges.

Judy Blundell has a way of bringing characters to life while introducing their mesmerizing and complicated lives. We quickly learn that Ruthie Beamish shares ownership of a lovely home by the sea with her ex-husband and she lives there with their teenage daughter from September through May. They are forced to rent the home out during the peak vacation months of summer in order to make ends meet. A wealthy socialite rents Ruthie’s home for the entire summer one year and things are never the same. Jobs are threatened, secrets are revealed, hearts are broken, and relationships become complicated. Of course, friends are lost and made, precious possessions are stolen, and teenage drama also dominates their lives. The pacing and commotion are hypnotic and make for an unforgettable summer for characters and readers alike. But I have to admit that while I thoroughly enjoyed this summer read, I was glad that all this drama was happening on Long Island and not in Canadian Lakes. At least, I don’t think it’s happening in Canadian Lakes.

When a very successful master of crime and suspense novels creates a story which unites his protagonists (Renee Ballard and Harry Bosch) from two of his best-selling series, you know you’re in for an engaging and incredibly thrilling read. And since Michael Connelly is known for his page-turning plots as well as his commanding characters, this formidable friendship is a present in print to us all. In Desert Star Connelly proves once again that he knows his way around a crime scene, within the confines of city hall, and inside the heads of dangerous criminals.

Having quit the LAPD over a year ago for a multitude reasons, Renee Ballard is wooed back into the force with the offer of rebuilding and heading the cold case unit at the Robbery-Homicide Division. Tasked with finding answers to an unending catalogue of unsolved cases, Ballard reaches out to a former colleague, retired detective Harry Bosch, asking him to assist her. Bosch agrees to help as long as he can also pursue an unsolved horrific murder case from his pre-retirement days. It doesn’t take long for dueling investigations, departmental complications, and political pressure to somehow link multiple clues to multiple cases. As they bend rules while connecting the dots it keeps the tension mounting on the streets and within the department. If Connelly’s Desert Star has piqued your interest, then I’ll rest my case, even if Ballard and Bosch won’t rest until they solve theirs.

When I stumbled upon this mystery by Laura Dave, I cracked open the book and I didn’t have a clue as to who this author was or how much I would thoroughly enjoy her writing. Halfway through page two, however, I was hooked. The next thing I knew was less than fortyeight hours later and I had attended a potluck luncheon at Sunset Shores, spent the following afternoon playing euchre, gotten my hair cut, and appeased my Fitbit with some walking. Oh yes, I had also finished The Last Thing He Told Me. Apparently, I only put the book down over those two days when I absolutely had to do so. This novel is not only a must-read; it’s one you’ll finish quickly.

The reader instantly knows that newlywed Hannah Hall’s husband, Owen Michaels, has mysteriously disappeared. FBI agents have arrested his boss while a U.S. marshal and federal agents have shown up to question her. Hannah also receives a puzzling note from Owen that she is to protect her teenage stepdaughter, Bailey. Hannah hasn’t a clue as to what any of these developments are about, including who her husband really is, where he is, and what he’s done. She and Bailey are also unsure of whom to trust as they attempt to solve this mystery together even though they haven’t yet had an opportunity to bond as a family. Putting together the pieces to this puzzle becomes difficult, dangerous, and dramatic. There are lies, plot twists, and mistakes made that keep Hannah, Bailey, and readers guessing. The last thing I’ll tell you about this book is that you’ll want to read The Last Thing He Told Me.

by Suzanne Kelman

This book came recommended by a dear friend when she heard me say that I was looking for something lighter to read after having recently completed several suspense/thriller/crime novels. Yes, I too need an escape read from time to time. The Rejected Writers’ Book Club provided me with just such a getaway. It is a comedy of errors with the equivalent of a cast of characters consisting of Lucille Ball as she moves into Petticoat Junction and meets Carol Burnett and her band of misfits. If you actually have to Google any of that, let me save you some time: this would be television comediennes at their best in the 1950s, 1960s, and 1970s.

In other words, this book is quirkycute at its silliest.

Empty nesters

Janet and Martin Johnson relocate to the charming village of Southlea Bay, Washington in order to begin the next chapter of their lives only to discover that they’re in for the adventure of a lifetime. This village is filled with more than its fair share of bizarre characters, ridiculous situations, and unending slapstick. Janet is invited by Doris, the leader and host of The Rejected Writers’ Book Club, to Janet’s first meeting of that club because they desperately need her assistance.

The premise of the club is that they gather to celebrate their publication rejection letters. The problem is that about the time of their five hundredth rejection, one of their members has received word that her manuscript has been accepted for publication. Apparently, these ladies would rather gather to drink tea, eat cake, and celebrate than be published. This acceptance could destroy one member’s reputation and disband the group. They decide that Janet will take them on a road trip to the publisher in San Francisco in order to storm the castle and retrieve the manuscript and destroy the acceptance letter. On the surface this task sounds easy. Remember, however, that this is The Rejected Writers’ Book Club, and you never can tell what these folks will do. But I guarantee you’ll laugh yourself silly reading about them.

Happy booking at the beach and don’t forget the sunscreen!