These are the books to pack to the pool, throw in your beach bag, or curl up with on a summer's night.
Studio 5 Contributor Teri Harman rolls out
the Studio 5 Reading List for Summer 2012.
(Studio 5 is a local program here in Utah geared to women that airs on KSL every weekday morning.)
Enza and Ciro first meet as teenagers in the majestic beauty of the Italian Alps. But after one night of heart-felt conversation and a first kiss, circumstances beyond their control pull them apart. They meet again, unexpectedly, far from their native home in the hustle of turn-of-the- century America, but still fate seems to want to keep them apart. Fate, however, is not strong enough to keep these star-crossed lovers apart forever. From the beauty of Italy, the drudgery of garment factories, the trenches of The Great War and the glamour of the Metropolitan Opera, this epic and beautifully written story of love and family is one that everyone will be talking about.
Terry Tempest Williams, award-winning Utah author, inherited her mother's journals after she died at the age of fifty-four from cancer. When Terry opened the journals each one was empty. In this breathtaking piece of creative nonfiction she explores what it means to be a woman, a person and to have a voice. Rich in wisdom, insight and power.
Content note: About a half dozen uses of the F-word and a description of a painting of female anatomy.
From a harrowing attack by a highway man to the unexpected attention of a handsome gentleman, Marianne's visit to the fabulous English country estate Edenbrooke is nothing she expects. Local author Julianne Donaldson's new Regency (think Jane Austen) love story is a pure delight. The first in a new brand of novels called Proper Romances from local publisher Shadow Mountain, this book has all the smoldering romance without any of "that other stuff."
Four local authors have teamed up to create a fun new series of books. Each book follows the experiences of one of the members of the Newport Ladies Book Club. The first book is Olivia by Julie Wright and is an engaging read about a middle-aged woman fighting to keep her marriage together. The second book, just released, is Daisy by Josi S. Kilpack and is about a forty-six year old woman who discovers she is pregnant. The great thing about this series is that all four books will be out by November - no waiting a whole year for the next book.
If you're looking for something a little different to include in your summer reading this fast-paced, heart-pounding ghost story by best-selling author Chris Bohjalian is a great choice. Long forgotten, in the dank corner of a basement in an old Victorian home, is a small door, sealed shut with thirty- nine 6-inch-long carriage bolts. When Chip Linton, his wife and twin daughters move in hoping to rebuild their lives after Chip, an airplane pilot, had to ditch his jet in a lake, resulting in the death of several passengers, Chip becomes obsessed with the door. Why? Because exactly thirty-nine of his passengers died in that crash.
Content note: A few mild swear words, one brief, mildly descriptive sex scene and one short scene of a woman kissing another woman
This candid, humorous and insightful memoir from best-selling author and Pultizer Prize winner Anna Quindlen is a delight to read. Using her own experiences, past and present, she explores what matters most to women at all stages and ages. From marriage to parenting to girlfriends to how much stuff we own and how we view our bodies, Anna talks about it all with her patented ease and sharp observations. Her use of wisdom and celebration, illuminating what can be satisfying and joyful in life, are the hallmarks of what make her one of America's favorite writers.
With lyrical prose, gorgeous settings and endearing characters this new telling of Jane Eyre, set in the 1950's in Scotland and Iceland is a perfect choice for summer reading. Gemma's life has always been hard, from the death of her father and uncle to the barely tolerable servitude at the Claypoole School, she wonders if her life can ever be what she dreams. When she goes to work as an au pair to the ward of Mr. Hugh Sinclair Gemma begins her biggest and most unexpected trial.
If you loved Katherine Howe's first best-selling book, The Physick Book of Deliverance Dane, then you must pick up her brand new novel. This historical novel, set in Boston in 1915, is the story of Sybil Allston as she grieves the loss of her mother and sister on the sinking of the Titanic. Seeking solace, she visits a spiritual medium and is given a looking glass. When images of an ocean liner appear in the glass Sybil is determined to discover if it's just the effects of the opium or something more mysterious. Atmospheric, full of wonder and romance.
Content note: The use of the drug opium, including use in opium dens, is a major theme of the novel; few mild swear words and a scene or two of mild violence.
Sarah Addison Allen's books are the quintessential summer reads: magical, romantic and impossible to put down. Her most recent book was just released on paperback and is fabulous. Willa Jackson's great-great grandfather built one of the finest homes in Walls of Water, North Carolina. Sadly, when the family met financial ruin the great home stood as a monument to their failure. When Willa's old classmate restores the home to its former glory and a skeleton is uncovered beneath the single peach tree, scandal, unlikely friendship and mystery ensue.
If you missed this fascinating, poignant book when it was new, you must pick up the paperback. Dr. Jennifer White, brilliant, well-known orthopedic surgeon, is recently widowed and retired, but worst of all she is suffering from the early stages of dementia. Not only does this stalwart woman have a hard time holding onto reality, but her neighbor and long-time best friend has just been murdered, four fingers surgically removed and Jennifer is the prime suspect.
Content note: Brief sexual references, a few uses of foul language and mild violence.
