Summer is a great time to sit back and relax with a cold drink and a good book. I\u2019ve gathered some of my favorite light reads to help you unwind.<\/p>\n
I just finished reading \u201cEddie Winston Is Looking for Love\u201d by Marianne Cronin, and I truly enjoyed it. At 90 years old, Eddie has retired from his career as a university lecturer but has worked for several years sorting through donations at a thrift shop in Birmingham, United Kingdom. One day, 24-year-old Bella comes in to donate the belongings of her boyfriend who recently passed away. They form a steadfast if odd friendship. He helps her process her grief and she helps him in his quest to get his first kiss and expand his fashion taste. \u201cEddie Winston Is Looking for Love\u201d is a beautiful story about friendship, lost love, and looking for the joy in every moment. Available in print and as a digital audiobook or ebook through Libby.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe Thursday Murder Club\u201d mysteries by Richard Osman is a delightful series about a retirement community in Kent. Retired MI6 agent, Elizabeth, starts a group in the puzzle room to investigate cold crimes. Consisting of a union activist, a therapist, and a widow with a life mission to make everyone around her comfortable, the group enjoys their non-traditional activity without much success until a local developer is murdered. They use their skills to work the case, although their assistance isn\u2019t always appreciated by the local police. Witty and poignant, \u201cThe Thursday Murder Club\u201d tells a gripping story of a unique way to stay active in one\u2019s senior years. Available in print and as a digital audiobook or ebook through Libby.<\/p>\n
\u201cNot in My Book\u201d is a spicy contemporary romance by Katie Holt. Rosie and Aiden have been in several writing classes together but have nurtured a vindictive rivalry almost since they met. With Aiden\u2019s love for literary fiction and Rosie\u2019s focus on romance, they have contentiously and loudly judged each other, even though they are both known to be fantastic writers. Adding to their conflict, Peruvian American Rosie is working her way through school, not even able to afford to fly home for Christmas, while Aiden is the child of New York wealth. When their combative interactions start to disrupt the class, their instructor gives them an assignment to write a romance novel together. Although this is a classic \u201cenemies to lovers\u201d romance, \u201cNot in My Book\u201d provides surprising twists and introspection along the way. Katie Holt\u2019s novel would likely be a good read for Emily Henry fans. Available in print and as a digital audiobook or ebook through Libby.<\/p>\n
I\u2019m a little behind the times, but I finally read \u201cA Man Called Ove\u201d by Fredrik Backman. Ove is a widower who is frustrated by the world and the people in it. A new neighboring family starts as an irritant but over time coaxes him into a friendship and helps him to see the good in the world. This Swedish debut novel touches on some dark themes but still manages to be uplifting and heartwarming while finding humor in the struggles of life. Backman has published several titles since \u201cA Man Called Ove,\u201d including many more treasures. Available in print and as a digital audiobook or ebook through Libby. The library also provides access to both movie adaptations \u201cA Man Called Ove\u201d and \u201cA Man Called Otto.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cMiss Austen\u201d by Gill Hornby came to my attention recently when PBS created a series adaptation of the novel. Hornby tells the story of classic author Jane Austen\u2019s sister, Cassandra, who is viewed with mixed feelings by Austen fans. She was the author\u2019s dearest companion in life, but she was also accused of burning many of Austen\u2019s letters, destroying material that would give insight to a mostly unknown life. \u201cMiss Austen\u201d goes back and forth between Cassandra\u2019s youth and later life, fleshing out the historical information we have about both Austen sisters with an engaging fictionalized idea of what might have led her to destroy the evidence that scholars and fans long for. There\u2019s a bit of romance, but the story is really about love between sisters. Hornby has created an intriguing novel that might help redeem Cassandra Austen for devoted Jane Austen readers.<\/p>\n