Happy Summer Reading

Hello Readers!
I have the new Tana French BROKEN HARBOR in paperback at the store. I can't release it until April 30th but I have three copies waiting to be read.  If you'd like to reserve one, call at 503-325-4210.  LIGHT BETWEEN OCEANS by M.L. Stedman is also now in paperback, as is THE ORCHARDIST by Amanda Coplin. I realize those of you who facebook will see this same announcement....so now I'll add something to this post to change it out a bit.

I have customers come in all the time recommending books, and for the most part, just about everyone has been spot on about the book they read.  Books for relaxing and perfect for the ol' camping trip, books to lose yourself in and get absorbed in, making it the perfect reason why you aren't the one starting the dinner on the campfire.

Most of you are voracious readers, so these titles- please excuse if you've read the book- are summer get-aways...literally.  Get a copy and have that all-is-well-I-don't-have-anything-to-do-but-read-this-book feeling.  Don't you love that feeling?

WINTER GARDEN by Kristin Hannah.  This book is a mesmerizing story about two sisters who took different paths in life.  One a mother, the other followed her dream.  Their mother is icy and enigmatic.  But on her husband's deathbed she promises to tell her daughters the fairy tale that spans over sixty years and is unfinished.  From war-torn Leningrad to modern-day Alaska, this is an intimate portrait of women poised at the crossroads of their lives.

DAMNED by Chuck Palahnuik.  A hilariously visual of hell told by a young girl who doesn't really know the reason she's there.  Maybe because she's fat?  Maybe because of the marijuana overdose?
Madison joins a motley crew of THE BREAKFAST CLUB  of the damned as they march across the unspeakable terrain of hell.  I am reading this right now and find it delightful. Once in awhile you need a book that has no redeeming factor other than it is a unique story that grabs you and takes you along on a journey you can't experience elsewhere.  How cool is that?

GENTLEMEN and PLAYERS by Joanne Harris. This story, set in an all boys school in England, is a cat and mouse thriller about Roy Straitley-an eccentric Classics teacher- and an opponent who has meticulously planned a final, deadly move.  Our customer who recommended this title thoroughly enjoyed it. He loved the twists and turns of the plot.

DANCING to the FLUTE by Manisha Jolie Amin.  Lucy's Books' customer enjoyed this book, saying it was beautiful, ethereal, and moving. The story focuses on a young boy, Kalu, who is a street kid in rural India. He has two friends, Bal who tends the buffaloes, and Malti, a gentle servant girl.
 Here is an excerpt from the book:
 "Kalu picked up the flute by his side and started to play.  The sound was deep and full as if he was translating his thoughts into music.  It stayed in the air like dust floating on the sunlight, and each note held the promise of something not quite spoken but maybe heard in the darkness of a dream."

I'M SO HAPPY FOR YOU by Lucinda Rosenfeld.  Now, this book seems like it's answering my little green friend that sits on my shoulder from time to time...Wendy's best friend Daphne has everything going for her and Wendy is jealous.  Caught between being a good friend she prides herself on being, and her crippling jealousy of flighty Daphne, Wendy takes things a bit too far.  One quote from Publisher's Weekly  said "A dark, hilarious, and painfully accurate view of the less-than-pure reasons why women stay friends."

So, get some sunshine, SUNSCREEN, and sand and enjoy your summer reading!