Holiday Beach Reads
The holiday season can be a hectic time. With all the parties, dinners, shopping to get finished and school events, I can imagine you are right in the thick of it all. Hopefully you are finding time to sit back and enjoy the magic of it all. A great way to relax and take your mind off everything else is to read. I picked out a best-selling book in each of the major categories that readers enjoyed this year. They also make great gifts for the avid reader in your life (hint, hint).
“The Little Liar” by Mitch Albom
Mitch Album does it again, bringing us a story you will never forget with characters who stay with you long after you’ve turned the last page. Krispis lives in Salonika, Greece and has a good life. He is a good boy, who even at 11 has never told a lie. When his home is invaded by Nazis, a German officer finds Krispis. He offers him a deal to save his family. Krispis has to convince his neighbors to board the trains heading to their “new home,” where they are promised a good life. Having no idea of the horror waiting for them, Krispis goes to the train station every day and reassures the passengers that they are headed for something better. When he sees his family on the final train, Nico realizes he has led everyone he knew and loved to their almost certain death. The book intertwines the stories of Nico, his brother and their schoolmate who survive the death camps, and the Nazi officer who changed their lives.
“The River We Remember” by William Kent Krueger
Every year on Memorial Day, the people of Jewel, Minn., get together to honor the sacrifice of so many past members of their community. In 1958, they find the body of Jimmy Quinn, a wealthy landowner, floating in the river. Quinn died as a result of a gunshot wound and Sheriff Brody Dern is assigned the case. Before Dern can even begin to investigate, rumors are traveling quickly through the town claiming that Noah Bluestone, a Native American and World War II veteran, is the one who killed him. Bluestone had returned to town recently with his Japanese wife. The people of Jewel have secrets to hide and demons they are all facing. When the truth comes out, it might expose a lot more than everyone can handle. As tensions rise, so does the promise of more violence, and Dern needs to find the killer before it’s too late.
“The House in the Cerulean Sea” by TJ Klune
Linus Baker is happy with his quiet life. He lives in a tiny house with just his cat and old records to keep him company. He is a case worker for the Department in Charge of Magical Youth and is in charge of seeing that children in government- sanctioned orphanages are well taken care of. Extremely Upper Management gives Linus a secret assignment. He is to travel to Marsyas Island Orphanage to check on six dangerous children: a gnome, a sprite, a wyvern, an unidentifiable green blob, a were-Pomeranian, and the Antichrist. The children aren’t the only secret this island holds. Arthur Parnassus is their caretaker and he will do whatever it takes to keep these kids safe. Linus grows closer to Arthur and the kids and is forced to decide between destroying a family and watching them destroy the world.
“The Only One Left” by Riley Sager
In 1929, the Hope family murders shocked the Maine coast. Everyone thought 17-year-old Lenora Hope was responsible, but the police were never able to prove it. Because the townspeople know who she is and what she was accused of, she never steps foot outside of Hope’s End, the cliffside mansion where the massacre occurred. She has never spoken publicly about what happened that night. More than 50 years later, Kit McDeere has been hired to look after Lenora after she suffered a series of strokes. Now in her 70s and confined to a wheelchair, Lenora can no longer speak and uses an old typewriter to communicate. One night, Lenora offers to share her story with Kit. Kit helps Lenora write about what happened, and it’s clear that there is much more to the story and to Lenora than people know.
“Being Henry: The Fonz … and Beyond” by Henry Winkler
There was a time when “The Fonz” was the coolest guy around, with his leather jacket and handsome face. He charmed the ladies, and every boy wanted to be just like him. Henry Winkler, otherwise known as The Fonz, lived a troubled life until he scored that famous role on “Happy Days.” Dubbed “the nicest man in Hollywood,” the truth is that Winkler is just extremely grateful he got there. In this touching memoir, Winkler talks about his troubled childhood, his battle with dyslexia, and the pressure that comes with playing a personality that everyone wants you to be. Once he left “Happy Days,” Winkler had a hard time finding work because no one could see him as anyone but the Fonz. He prevailed and found roles in shows such as “Arrested Development,” “Parks and Recreation,” and “Barry.” His book is a story of remaining true to yourself and overcoming the curse of stardom. If you loved him as The Fonz, you will love him even more as Henry.
“The Graham Effect” by Elle Kennedy
Gigi Graham has three goals at the top of her list: qualifying for the women’s national hockey team; winning a gold medal; and escaping her famous father’s shadow. If she wants to improve her game, she’s going to need help from Luke Ryder, Briar’s new hockey co-captain. Ryder is gorgeous, built, athletic and well, rude. He has his reasons, though. His team just merged with a rival program, creating a squad of teammates who hate each other. To add fuel to the fire, the summer coaching spot he was counting on that would have meant working with his hero, Garrett Graham, is out of reach after he makes a seriously bad first impression. If he can coach Gigi successfully, maybe she will help him out with her dad. Except, there’s a thing called chemistry between the two of them that keeps getting in the way. Is being together worth risking it all?
