One of my very favorite memories was getting up early one summer morning on the lake where my family was vacationing. I was probably only about 10, but had never been one to sleep in—I’ve never wanted to miss anything. Sitting at the picnic table outside the cottage, dawn was breaking over the lake where a single small boat carried one lone man fishing. What I remember most are the colors: the blues and pinks before the sun took over. It was so peaceful—maybe that’s why it’s stayed with me.
I hope you’ve made some happy memories this summer as well. If you are looking for some last minute reads, I can make a few recommendations—not exactly “beach reads”, but definitely worth your time. The first two authors are well-known--one was new to me and the other has several new books.
· The Lincoln Highway by Amor Towles. This author was new to me, but I will certainly read more of his work. The story is the beautifully written account of two brothers who have essentially lost everything and make a plan to travel cross country to start their lives over. They plan to follow “the Lincoln highway” that goes from the east to the west coast. Of course no plan goes as planned.
· My second recommendation is to read anything by James Lee Burke, if you have not already read him. I was so happy to see that a “hold” for one of his books had come up, only to discover it was for an actual book, instead of the audio I thought I had requested. No problem. He has written many mysteries—most notably the Dave Robicheaux series. His writing is poetic.
These next two authors are new to me, but I found somewhat unusual takes on their mysteries.
· Killer Routine by Alan Orloff. I found this particularly original in that the main characters work in comedy clubs. There are elements of humor, but there is also action.
· Atropos by Royce Wilson. Written by an expert in forensics, the main character here is a detective. I did ask the author why he made this choice. His response was that the character guided his choice. I often find that as well—that the character guides the direction of the story as I’m writing. I did ask about the title and was told I had to read the book to discover, so I’ll say the same to you! It is worth the read!
Finally. If you are into podcasts, I recently met Cathi and Christie, two women who live on opposite sides of the country, but have a weekly podcast Game of Books that they call “Corks and Conversations”. They interview a different author each week, while they and their author each sip a wine (the same if possible) or beverage of choice. I haven’t been a podcast devotee, but I have really enjoyed those of theirs I have listened to so far!
Have a great end of summer!!
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