Beach Reads
Spring has finally sprung and that means I have lots of new book titles to share with you. It was hard to narrow it down to just six that I loved the best. I read so many great books over the winter and 2024 is off to a great start with new titles from authors we love and new authors coming onto the scene. I can’t wait to share them all, but for now here are a few that you don’t want to miss!
“The Women” by Kristin Hannah
In 1965, everything is changing, especially for Frances “Frankie” McGrath, a nursing student who grew up in Southern California where her parents sheltered her from the troubles of the “real world.” When her brother heads off to serve in Vietnam, Frankie feels she has no other choice but to follow him there. Frankie signs up to serve as a nurse on the front. Her days are met with chaos and destruction, sadness, and despair. But within the rubble, she forms friendships that will last a lifetime and finds love in the most unexpected places. Nothing can prepare her for life after the war and what she is met with when she finally comes home. The country she left is now divided. There are protesters everywhere and it seems that everyone just wants to forget what she can’t seem to forget. If you are a fan of Kristin Hannah, prepare yourself to meet characters you are in awe of and hear a story you will never forget.
“The Book of Doors” by Gareth Brown
Cassie Andrews enjoys her ordinary life working in a bookshop in New York City. One of her favorite customers is a charming old man who ends up dying right in front of her. Cassie is inconsolable. She loves the stories he told her and feels that she now has nothing to help remember him, except for the last book he was reading, “The Book of Doors.” Filled with mysterious words and interesting drawings, Cassie is intrigued. Then one day a stranger with a Scottish accent who calls himself Drummond Fox approaches her. Drummond is a librarian and part of his job is to keep a close eye over a unique set of rare volumes, one of which Cassie is holding. Cassie finds herself being hunted by the people who know about these books and has to decide if she wants to help Drummond protect them. Only Drummond knows where the rest of the books are, and only the book Cassie has can get them there. Are they worth being killed over?
“The Fury” by Alex Michaelides
Lana Farrar is an ex-movie star, one of the most famous women in the world, and is madly in love with her husband. Well, maybe not all of this is true, but some of it is. Every year Lana invites her closest friends to spend Easter on her private island off the coast of Greece. When the weather strands everyone for the night, things start to come to the surface. Who is really in love, who is really a friend, and who wants nothing but sweet revenge? It’s clear from the beginning that some of her friends are anything but, and Lana needs to figure out where she stands with everyone before it’s too late. Written by the author of “The Silent Patient,” “The Fury” is sure to be another hit!
“The Heiress” by Rachel Hawkins
Ruby McTavish Callahan Woodward Miller Kenmore is the richest woman in North Carolina, and the most famous. She was kidnapped as a child and survived four husbands. She resided in Ashby House, her family’s estate, in the town of Tavistock until the day she died. With so much left behind, it is surprising her adopted son, Camden, wants nothing to do with the money, the house, or any of his relatives. Camden is an English teacher who settles in Colorado and marries Jules, the love of his life, who is also eager to forget her past. A decade later, Camden’s uncle dies and Camden and Jules are forced back into the family at Ashby House. The longer they stay, the more questions that rise to the surface. Was there truth to Ruby’s kidnapping as a child? What really happened to her husbands, who all died mysteriously? What made her want to adopt Camden? With more questions than answers, Camden and Jules realize that some truths can never stay buried.
“The Hidden Life of Cecily Larson” by Ellen Baker
Cecily Larson was dropped off at an orphanage in 1924 when she was just 4 years old. Her mom promised to come back when she could afford to, but that day never came. At the age of 7, Cecily is sold to a traveling circus. Her job was to be the “little sister” to the famous bareback rider Isabelle DuMonde. Cecily finally feels as if she has a family to call her own. However, in time, things change and when she is a teenager, she falls in love with a young worker named Lucky. This sets her life off on a dangerous course. Flash forward to 2015, when Cecily is 94 and lives in Minnesota with her daughter, granddaughter, and great-grandson. When her family surprises her with a DNA test, the results could change everything Cecily has held dear.
“The Phoenix Crown” by Kate Quinn and Janie Chang
In the vibrant landscape of 1906 San Francisco, amid the bustling streets teeming with newfound wealth and ambitious dreamers, two distinct women harbor hopes for a brighter future: Gemma, a radiant soprano yearning to reignite her career; and Suling, a determined embroideress from Chinatown set on evading an unwanted marriage. Fate intertwines their paths when they encounter Henry Thornton, a charismatic railroad tycoon with a remarkable collection of Chinese treasures, including the coveted Phoenix Crown, a relic from Beijing’s lost Summer Palace. Under Thornton’s patronage, Gemma and Suling are presented with unprecedented opportunities, but their lives are turned upside down by the catastrophic earthquake that shatters San Francisco as well as Thornton’s mysterious disappearance. As the city rebuilds, a profound mystery unfolds, extending far beyond expectations. Years later, at an opulent Parisian masquerade, the reappearance of the Phoenix Crown ignites a final, desperate pursuit for justice, uniting Gemma and Suling in their quest. In this captivating tale, the tapestry of San Francisco’s history unfurls against the backdrop of ambition, tragedy, and the enduring pursuit of truth.
