I sometimes like to dig into a big nonfiction read during the summer, when I feel like time stretches out and allows me to take more time with a more dense title.

I loved the twist, double-twist of my first Cavanagh mystery, and the story's revenge and renegade justice I don't love the title--although it does indicate the dynamic--but I was hooked on the story.

The historical fiction story about the building of the Grove Park Inn in Asheville, North Carolina, had society, complications of widespread TB infection, visionaries shaping the future, as well as the love story I love a North-Carolina-set story, and Joy Callaway's historical fiction What the Mountains Remember Belle is determined to write the stories of the extraordinary everyday men who are building the Grove For more North Carolina stories, check out the books on this Bossy list .

In this memoir, the charming, food-obsessed cookbook author and actor shares the stories behind his Italian-American The author shares stories of his wife and children, his first wife and her untimely death, and his own health crisis of cancer, which affected his digestion, ability to chew, and his taste--at the time, Food is interwoven through all of these shared stories, and it always feels natural, never a forced construct

Kate Quinn makes the urgency of World War II code breaking come alive through the stories of three young The Rose Code is a wonderfully spun historical fiction story of three very different women who answer I love a World War II story about strong women making a difference, but I admit that I was curious about and while I'm sometimes frustrated by an unreliable-narrator setup, Chloe's swirling mind suited the story loyalty and intentions of almost everyone in State of Terror while still making me feel invested in the story

couple of hours (narrator Sophie Amoss deftly handles the voices in this novel to great effect), the story It's difficult to describe how bonkers this story is. I was surprised by how hooked I became on it. book I would universally recommend, but for an audience that appreciates cutting satire and a bananas story

off-putting to me in his arrogance at first, but Carley Fortune is the best at developing a lakeside romance story features characters Percy (Persephone) and Sam (Charlie's brother) from Every Summer After , which is the story once she developed a strong female character with her own rich backstory, Fortune was able to tell the story

interconnectedness of the characters and the details of household life and power structures of the time O'Farrell, who has written many books I've loved, here tackles a novel of the plague and a story loosely I wondered if the timing of this reading experience was going to be enjoyable--reading a book about the But O'Farrell has crafted a story that is primarily about a family--their hopes, dreams, and the sometimes The details of the time, household life, and gender, vocation, and familial power structures were wonderful

Walls uses a journal structure to draw the reader into a singular story I can't stop thinking about. I was fully intrigued by the story and by Ig's vivid point of view, the relentless and increasingly outrageous

The love story illustrates the seeming impossibility of finding one's self while in the pervasive public Paul Yoon is also the author of Run Me to Earth, Snow Hunters, and multiple short story collections.

A woman recognizes him and impulsively spills the story of her mother Margot Bamborough's mysterious investigator employees have enough surveillance work to keep them busy, but Strike can't shake the story It was nicely paced, and I liked having time to dig into the characters' evolution and the mystery's

The story twists and turns through confidential informants, militias arming themselves with black-market For more Bossy reviews of stories involving law enforcement officers, please check out the titles at

scenes of a fictional 1960s sitcom is layered with the complex issues of the changing world at that time Now it's 1964, and times are changing for women, people of color, gay people, and society in general.

The Icelandic landscape is vividly evoked, the characters feel faulted and real, and the story is compelling Burial Rites is a beautiful, haunting story inspired by the true events surrounding the last person put The landscape is vividly evoked, the characters feel faulted and real, and the story is compelling. I still think about this book from time to time, and I read it years ago. This book is part of the Greedy Reading List Six Captivating Nordic Stories. What did you think?

James explores race, friendship, ambition, and the absurdities and rhythm of daily life during her time herself to delve more deeply into aspects of her years at Taft that she largely glossed over at the time The majority of page time is focused on aspects of James's boarding-school life, including its rhythms The author notes that when she was a high schooler, in that place and time in our society, she didn't social critique, partly a recounting of the absurdities she experienced, and partly simply her unique story

Elizabeth Strout examines the range of characters from her many books and their intersecting stories, And the story weaves in characters from other Strout books, including Olive Kitteridge. But the story is primarily about human connections. And Olive and Lucy share stories from their own lives and those they've encountered, trying to come to

This story imagines a wife for Jesus, questions gender roles, and offers adventure. This was so interesting: a story from the point of view of an imagined wife for Jesus, including an exploration adventure, strong female loyalty and friendship, love, and lots of fascinating details of life at the time character Ana is off having other experiences (and often-dangerous adventures), so his role in her story is primarily as a faithful man who disagrees with the politics of the faith at the time, but most essentially

Much of The Safekeep feels claustrophobic, quiet, and hopeless, but unexpected shifts late in the story But approximately three quarters of the way through the book, the story's perspective changes to Eva's revelations shifted my thinking about the book's various relationships and made me question the basis for the story's almost gothic in its initial darkness and hopelessness, then took me by surprise by blooming into a story

Kingfisher (this is Ursula Vernon's pen name) read, and I loved this retelling of the Grimm Brothers' story The story is sometimes funny, and it's consistently suspenseful and character-driven. This story felt smart, strange, and intriguing. I can't wait to read more books by this author.

discord, bringing the reader into her extended periods of pain, worry, and suffering, while most of the time eventually, of the underlying conditions that caused so many intermingling, complicated, agonizing times

I loved the key elements of this story: the capable con woman, the past coming back to haunt her, the She is also the author of six young adult books, including The Lying Woods , This Is Our Story , The

Witch is just their nasty word for anyone who makes things happen, who moves the story along. desperate to save their society from the arrogant men and their unchecked power, but only turning the tide witch hunters as more devilish creatures than anyone they might be seeking to punish, and at the same time infuriating in its recounting of the horrific cruelties and tortures enacted against so many women at the time witch hunt-focused Hour of the Witch or the titles on the Greedy Reading List Six Wonderfully Witchy Stories

01 Skylark by Paula McLain Paula McLain's Skylark is a historical fiction story set in Paris and told But it's tough to tame her power when she's been trained since childhood to be expecting attacks and

The story is heartwarming, funny, with strong friendships, plus it's steamy and romantic at times without The story is steamy and romantic at times without being dramatic.

Cosby; a light fiction story that's multigenerational, features a winery backdrop, and references racy reads from the 1980s; and a story inspired by The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn about four young orphans So far this is a lovely light fiction story that also focuses on racy reads from the 1980s in the form When events come to a head and the O'Banion brothers must flee down the Gilead River--in hopes of meeting The author has said that this story was inspired by The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, and it does feel

series (all of the books are set in Amish country), although they've been on my to-read list for a long time I wondered if it was fair of me to first dive into the story so late in the series, but in an illuminating meant to stand alone, while readers following the books in order will note character development over time I thought the characters sometimes seemed slow to catch on to the implications of events, but the story Stars Go Dark, about a missing persons detective coping with her own tragedy; the historical fiction story

I'm intrigued by a missing-persons story, and I'm a fan of Emiko Jean's writing. I'm fascinated by a missing-persons story . The story takes us inside the claustrophobic, twisted, abusive, extremely disturbing compound where Ellie The reveal of the true story behind the abductions, cruelties, and murders seemed far-fetched (every Emiko Jean is also the author of the great young adult stories Tokyo Ever After and Tokyo Dreaming

The Books I'm Reading Now I'm reading Gary Shteyngart's story of a precocious young girl finding her Shteyngart is also the author of The Russian Debutante's Handbook , Absurdistan , Super Sad True Love Story I don't love the title, but I'm hooked on the story. 03 Sure, I'll Join Your Cult: A Memoir of Mental

Mysteries abound within McConaghy's Wild Dark Shore , but the story is largely an atmospheric story of With violent storms on the horizon, no line of communication open with the outside world, and enormous There are mysteries at the center of the story, but for me this was a captivating, atmospheric dive into difficult truths and dare to imagine a bright future) alongside the relentless, unforgiving weather and storms

his (unrecognized) teenaged soulmate didn't ring true enough for me to feel that I could buy into the story were some steamy moments, but the sexiness often felt violent, the racy talk didn’t land for me and at times Even solid mentor Jim inexplicably says to Dani about Nick's appeal, "Keep spending time with him, on The specter of Nick's addiction overshadows much of the story, and this element felt tragic and compelling If you like stories about music, you might like the books on the Greedy Reading List Six Rockin' Stories

Grodstein tells a poignant, powerful story of the Warsaw Ghetto--of making a life within its prison walls Would Adam be willing to help them gather the stories that shape so many lives? The heart of this story was inspired by the real-life project aimed at preserving the testimonies of Stories of various characters are interwoven through the historical fiction novel and add depth to the story.

I'm currently solidly on the sidelines of college application hustle and bustle, so it seemed like time You'll Be: An Antidote to the College Admissions Mania, insightful, thorough, down-to-earth New York Times research that attempts to separately consider institutions' elite names and their graduates' success stories

Lessons in Chemistry explores deep issues, conflict, and dark times, yet offers hope and joy. Exciting news for story-to-screen fans: the book is reportedly being adapted into a streaming series

That girl is frozen in time, with her beginning, middle, and end: victim, endurance, triumph. It was a good story. A good feeling. A good ending. Fade to black. The last few pages felt a little disjointed from the story and odd. emotional investment were a intriguing framework for Miranda's story. its structure (it begins in the present day after a series of disturbing events and works backward in time

I've been eagerly awaiting the release of this story, which I understood to be part whodunit, part boarding Meanwhile our main protagonist is a middle-aged woman appealingly muddling along at times, doing her

Through it all, death looms, and as Barbara prepares to exit the corporal world she is at times afraid die-hard cocksureness, and she shows moments of vulnerability as her frailty becomes overwhelming--and at times

The Books I'm Reading Now I'm reading Anatomy: A Love Story, a gothic young adult historical fiction 01 Anatomy: A Love Story by Dana Schwartz In Anatomy: A Love Story, Dana Schwartz's young adult gothic it's 1817 in Edinburgh, and Hazel Sinnett is a young woman desperate to become something women in her time

The Books I'm Reading Now I'm reading Jessica Anya Blau's 1970s-set music-focused story Mary Jane; I'm By the time summer is over, Mary Jane will understand how many more possibilities there are for her future than she's ever dreamed of. 02 Wintering: The Power of Rest and Retreat in Difficult Times by Katherine nonfiction ode to settling in, stepping back, and slowing down, she explores her own experiences with times

the roof of their South Carolina home again, and cooking and eating together became a collective past time Flavor-Packed Meals for Busy People Who Still Want Something Good to Eat by Emily Weinstein and New York Times My household's dinners are largely inspired by New York Times Food emails and recipes, and I'm all in offer practical methods for finding creative inspiration right under your nose--without a trip to the store recipes that reflect the way she cooks now: simple ingredients, easy to get on the table, short on time

Dean's escape from media scrutiny leads him to rent Evvie's apartment for a time. I listened to it as an audiobook while I gardened, and it was a perfect summer story.

wonderfully oddball Stevie Bell as she takes her sleuthing skills outside of Ellingham Academy for the first time The story is set at a small-town summer camp (Nate repeatedly and entertainingly references Friday the

The Books I'm Reading Now I'm reading Naomi Novik's book of stories, Buried Deep ; I'm listening to Colm 01 Buried Deep and Other Stories by Naomi Novik Naomi Novik is the author of fantasy novels featuring Naomi Novik's Buried Deep is a collection of thirteen stories that span the worlds of her novels. I received a prepublication copy of Buried Deep and Other Stories courtesy of NetGalley and Ballantine

Absolutely Remarkable Thing, click right here. 03 Great Circle by Maggie Shipstead Maggie Shipstead's story In interconnected stories--which felt equally compelling to me--Shipstead brings to life these disparate The story is steamy and romantic at times without being dramatic. , and everything else in this epic story. The Great Mistake feels like a love letter to turn-of-the-century New York and a captivating story.

Betty is based on the author's family stories of difficulties, abuse, tragedies, and a hardscrabble life She revels in the wonders of the natural world, soaks in her father's rich stories, loves her sisters There's excruciating, relentless pain for almost the entirety of Betty's story. McDaniel's fanciful language is sometimes tragically beautiful, and other times frustrating when it means This distracted me, but in a way it also suited the story.

I was intrigued by; Great Circle, my favorite read of the month: Maggie Shipstead's interconnected stories and meaning in the natural world and in everyday tasks; The Girl with the Louding Voice, Abi Daré's story Maggie Shipstead's story spans the wilds of Prohibition-era Montana, the blustery Pacific Northwest, If you like stories about witches, you might like the books on the Greedy Reading List Six Wonderfully Witchy Stories to Charm You.

Towles's evocative stories drew me in, sometimes made me uncomfortable, and illuminated characters' true In Table for Two: Fictions , Amor Towles offers six short stories set in New York City and a novella The six New York-set stories all take place around the year 2000, and they consider the impacts of chance Towles's writing is so lovely, I'm willing to follow his stories and his characters anywhere.

Klune's newest book, Under the Whispering Door, the author offers a heartwarming story that does just Klune's story features the selfish, narcissistic, workaholic character of Wallace, who notices one day Before crossing over from the living forever, Wallace spends time in a mysterious in-between place (a Klune, the author of The House in the Cerulean Sea, offers another whimsical, tender, light-LGBTQ-love story The story's characters are full of love.

men set against each other in the trenches serves as a backdrop for a tentatively begun, deep love story Tragedy and looming doom are twisted through this story of a hard-fought love story between Gaunt and onward toward mutual destruction--all of this serves as a backdrop for a heartwarming, heartbreaking story

In We Are Not Like Them, real-life friends and collaborators Christine Pride and Jo Piazza offer a story they've always been very different in many ways, yet the women have been through difficult and joyful times

author of the captivating Winternight trilogy, here shares a mysterious, haunting historical fiction story In The Warm Hands of Ghosts, Arden presents the story of Laura, a combat nurse who is searching for her The story's pacing felt quite slow and the tone extremely dark and hushed for the majority of the book herself to be vulnerable toward the end of the novel, and I very much liked the resolutions of the story Witchy Stories to Charm You.