Seven Summer Reads We’re (Still) Excited About

Summer is almost over but there is still time to get into some great summer books.  We have partnered with The Snail on the Wall, the sponsor of the Rocket City Mom Virtual Book Club to come up with seven summer reads we’re still excited about. 

 

 

Swan Song by Elin Hilderbrand

Soak up the last bits of summer with this actual swan song to Elin Hilderbrand’s Nantucket novels. We’ve been told that you do not need to read the rest of the series to enjoy this one but if you have, you will enjoy the Easter Eggs that are throughout. Here’s the rest of the description: Swan Song is a propulsive medley of glittering gatherings, sun-soaked drama, wisdom and heart, featuring the return of some of her most beloved characters, including, most importantly, the beautiful and timeless island of Nantucket itself.

Release Date: June 11

 

 

Middletide by Sarah Crouch

I have fallen in love with this debut, as well as with the author.  This atmospheric  mystery seems very appropriate for transitioning to Fall where the heat still swelters. Set in the Pacific Northwest, you will feel you are there! Our protagonist, Elijah, returns to the home he was so keen on leaving after failing in his writing career. Then there is a murder and Elijah must fight to prove his innocence. NOTE: This mystery is the Rocket City Mom Virtual Book Club pick for September/October. 2024.  You can see the video of  Sarah Crouch’s Launch Party at the Snail on the Wall here. She was interviewed by fellow RCM author, Georgina Cross. 

Release Date: June 11

Video LINK: https://youtu.be/src9_zQe7C8?si=Txpbw7yo-MRObFur

 

 

A Talent for Murder by Peter Swanson

“A newlywed librarian begins to suspect the man she married might be a murderer—in this spectacularly twisty and deviously clever novel by Peter Swanson, New York Times bestselling author of Eight Perfect Murders.” We thoroughly enjoyed jumping into the middle of this series; we didn’t need to read the first two, although we immediately did afterwards. 

Release Date: June 11

 

 

Sandwich by Catherine Newman

Anne Bogel of Modern Mrs. Darcy has said that this is the best book that she has read all year and Erin Hildebrand says that if you love her work, you will love this one. Here’s the description: A moving, hilarious story of a family summer vacation full of secrets, lunch, and learning to let go. This year’s vacation, with Rocky sandwiched between her half-grown kids and fully aging parents, promises to be just as delightful as summers past—except, perhaps, for Rocky’s hormonal bouts of rage and melancholy. (Hello, menopause!) Her body is changing—her life is, too. 

Release Date: June 18

Anne Bogel’s LINK: www.modernmrsdarcy.com

 

 

Same As It Ever Was by Claire Lombardo

This highly anticipated release for the fans of Claire Lombardo. Her previous novel The Most Fun We Ever Had was a favorite selection of Rocket City Mom Virtual Book Club; we read it in April 2022. Here’s the description: Another brilliantly observed family drama in which the enduring, hard-won affection of a long marriage faces imminent derailment from events both past and present. Same As It Ever Was traverses the rocky terrain of real life, —exploring new avenues of maternal ambivalence, intergenerational friendship, and the happenstantial cause-and-effect that governs us all. 

Release Date: June 18

 

 

 

A Certain Kind of Starlight by Heather Webber

This is the newest release from 2-time RCM favorite author, Heather Webber.  We read Midnight at the Blackbird Cafe in May 2020 and At the Coffee Shop of Curiosities in October 2023. Webber writes about small-towns in Alabama; read our interview with her here. Here’s the description: Under the bright side of the stars of Starlight, Alabama, Addie and Tessa Jane come to see that magic can be found in trusting yourself, that falling apart is simply a chance to rise up again, stronger than ever, and that the heart usually knows the best path through the darkness.

Release Date: July 23

Check out our interview with author Heather Webber.

 

 

Hum by Helen Phillips 

This is our speculative fiction selection of the summer.  Hum is about a wife and mom who, after losing her job to AI in a city ravaged by climate change, undergoes some kind of procedure where she is no longer detectable by surveillance.  But what’s the cost? Here’s the description: Written in taut, urgent prose, Hum unflinchingly explores marriage, motherhood, and selfhood in a world compromised by global warming and dizzying technological advancement, a world of both dystopian and utopian possibilities. Helen Phillips is the author of six books including a Book Award nominee. 

Release Date: August 6