Beach Reads
The spring edition of Beach Reads is usually my favorite. It’s the chance to tell you all about the great books I read over the winter. Unfortunately, everything about this spring is different than what we are used to. I’m pretty sure you have had the chance to do a whole lot of reading at this point. I know I have. Since you have probably caught up on the winter’s greatest books already, here are some of the most anticipated books of spring instead. From a historical tale to a keep-you-up-at-night thriller, there is a something for everyone on this list. Let’s hope life gets back to normal sooner rather than later. In the meantime, happy reading!
“Lost Roses” by Martha Hall Kelly
Set in 1914, Eliza Ferriday is thrilled to be traveling to St. Petersburg, Russia with Sofya Streshnayva, a cousin of the Romanovs she befriended years earlier in Paris. When Austria declares war on Serbia and Russia’s dynasty starts to fall, Eliza escapes home to America while Sofya flees with her family to their country estate. Sofya’s family hires the local fortune teller’s daughter to help out in their home. What they don’t realize is that they have brought danger into the household. Eliza is busy doing her part while in America, helping White Russian families find safety. When Sofya’s letters stop coming, she fears the worst has happened to her friend. From Russia to New York and Paris, “Lost Roses” reminds us how strong the bonds of female friendship can be and what those bonds can overcome.
Say Nothing” by Patrick Radden Keefe
Subtitled “A True Story of Murder and Memory in Northern Ireland,” “Say Nothing” was named the best nonfiction book of the year by Time Magazine and will stay on your mind long after the last page has been read. In December 1972, Jean McConville, a 38-year-old mother of 10, was dragged out of her home by masked intruders, never to be seen again. Everyone in the neighborhood knew the Irish Republican Army was to blame, but no one would even think of saying that. In 2003, a set of human bones was found on a beach. The children knew it was their mother by the safety pin attached to the dress. “Say Nothing” is a captivating take on the bitter conflict in Northern Ireland and the aftermath that was felt for decades after. The murder of McConville is just the beginning of the story about a society wracked by a violent guerrilla war. The violence left so many questions from those who lost loved ones to the members of the IRA who wonder if their killings were justified or simply murder.
The Scent Keeper” by Erica Bauermeister
If you don’t know about Reese Witherspoon’s book club, you need to check it out! Her book selections are always perfect. “The Scent Keeper” was one of her picks. Emmeline lives on a remote island with her father. He teaches her about the world through her senses. While our sense of smell may be one of the strongest, it also tends to get us into trouble. Her father won’t tell her about the scents that fill the glass bottles in their cabin. Eventually, her curiosity gets the best of her and one day she finds herself in the real world where love and heartbreak, revenge and betrayal, are too close for comfort. In order to understand her past and exactly where she came from, Emmeline has to unlock the clues to her identity. “The Scent Keeper” explores the sense of smell in a way we never have before, the way it can reveal the truth and maybe even help us find our way back home.
“Dear Edward” by Ann Napolitano
The summer morning started out as normal as could be. Twelve-year-old Edward Adler, his older brother, his parents and 183 other people board a plane in New Jersey and are headed to Los Angeles. Halfway through the journey, the plane crashes and Edward is the sole survivor. While his story captures the hearts of America, Edward has a hard time trying to figure out how to exist in a world without his family and determine where he is meant to be now. Edward feels incomplete, as if a piece of him was left in the sky with the plane and all of its passengers. But then he makes a shocking discovery, which will change his way of thinking and the course of the rest of his life. When you lose everything, how do you find yourself again?
“Eight Perfect Murders” by Peter Swanson
Bookseller and mystery aficionado Malcolm Kershaw created a list of the most unsolvable murders in mystery books. He titled the list “Eight Perfect Murders.” But that was years ago. When an FBI agent comes into his bookstore looking for information about a series of murders that have taken place recently, they all seem to have come right from Mal’s list. Now it seems that the feds aren’t the only ones watching Mal; there is a killer out there watching him, too. This killer knows way too much about Mal and is a threat to everything. Mal has no choice but to seek out the killer. But the closer he gets, the more people are murdered, and Mal might never sleep soundly again.
“Woman on the Edge” by Samantha M. Bailey
Morgan Kincaid is on her way home from work. While waiting on the subway platform, a woman she has never seen before hands her an infant. She tells her to take the baby and says Morgan’s name right before she jumps in the path of a train. Morgan is forever changed. How can a woman give her child to a complete stranger? How can she kill herself so tragically? How did she know her name? Morgan is questioned by the police and discovers that the woman was Nicole Markham, the CEO of a popular athletic brand. She also discovers that with no witnesses, she’s the prime suspect in Nicole’s death. Morgan sets out to prove she is innocent by retracing Nicole’s steps during the last days of her life. When weird things start happening to Morgan, she realizes she might be in danger, too.
