Sizzling Summer Reads

The engaging Valerie Koehler of Blue Willow Bookshop kick-started our summer by sharing some of her favorite recently-published books. Valerie has a way of whetting one's appetite with her book talks, and I know we've all added to our "to read" lists today. Here are the titles she shared with us:

• The Mapmaker's War by Ronlyn Domingue: A fantasy tale of a mapmaker journeying into uncharted lands.
• The Art Forger by B.A. Shapiro: A mystery about an art forger hired to make a forgery of a stolen painting.
• Life After Life by Kate Atkinson: The tale of a girl born in England in 1910 where each chapter is a portion of her life presented if something had happened differently.
• Life After Life by Jill McCorkle: A very different book by the same name, this one a story about a quirky cast of characters at a retirement home.
• The Light Between Oceans by M.L. Steadman: Valerie's favorite from last year, this is a story of a young couple who discover a baby near their lighthouse.
• Me Before You by JoJo Moyes: The story of a woman from a small village in England hired to be a companion to a wealthy couple's quadrapalegic son.
• Guns At Last Light by Rick Atkinson: A well-written and detailed non-fiction account of World War II.
• The Lost Husband by Katherine Center: A fun Texas romance from a local author.
• The Drowning House by Elizabeth Black: A mystery set in Galveston.
• And the Mountains Echoed by Khaled Hosseini: An immigrant story from Afghanistan to the United States.
• Rage Against the Dying by Becky Masterman: A thriller about a retired female FBI agent.
• Unflinching Courage by Kay Bailey Hutchinson: A series of true stories about the women who shaped Texas.
• Suitors by Cecile David-Weille: A light, funny story of two wealthy sisters trying to find husbands.
• Constellation of Vital Phenomena by Anthony Marra: The story of three different Chechnyan families affected by war.
• Son by Phillip Meyer: An epic tale of one Texas family--a must-read for fans of Lonesome Dove.
• The Ability by M.A. Vaughan: A fun read for children and teens about a band of kids who save the world, of course.
• Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein: A young adult novel told from the point of view of a captured British spy. (This also happens to be your blogger's favorite book of the year!)
• A Land More Kind than Home by Wiley Cash: Another favorite of Valerie's, this novel is told by three characters in a small evangelical church in the North Carolina hills.
• Wild by Cheryl Strayed: The true account of a woman's journey hiking the Pacific Coast Trail.
• Quiet by Susan Cain: A fascinating look at introverts and how they've been approached by parents and educators.

For more information about Blue Willow Bookshop or to contact Valerie for reading recommendations, check out their website: http://www.bluewillowbookshop.com/