Our book guru Carole Barrowman has some recommended reads for this summer. See her recommendations and reviews below:
“Singer” by Kerry Casey One of my favorite novelists, Toni Morrison, writes about what she calls our “moral imaginations,” that is, the part of our consciousness where, when we look at art or read a good book, we connect and wrestle with deep human values and questions. Like how to be a responsible human being? How to be redeemed when you’ve screwed up? How to overcome tragedy and live again?
Even if my brother-in-law wasn’t the author of this novel, I’d still recommend “Singer” as one that will connect not only with your heart, but with your moral imagination. And Kerry does it through a compelling story about how a gifted four-year old boy affects the lives of the men and women living on and near a reservation in Minnesota. I also think if you’re already thinking about what to pick for your book club in the fall, “Singer” would be a perfect choice.
"The Skeleton Box" by Bryan Gruley
I love mysteries where the journalist is the detective and Gruley’s series is one of my favorites in that sub-genre. Set in Starvation Lake, a small town in northern Michigan, the journalist is hockey-playing reporter Gus Carpenter. Someone is breaking into homes in town when the occupants are out at the church playing bingo. This Bingo Night burglar has folks panicked, especially when someone is killed during one of the break-ins. This is an engaging mystery set in a small resort town. Take it to your lake place this summer. It’s full of characters you may recognize at the local bar.
“The Good Thief’s Guide to Venice” by Chris Evan is about a roguish writer and part-time thief, Charlie Howard, returns in another slick comic caper. If you loved Hitchcock’s film with Cary Grant, “To Catch a Thief,” you’ll love this rollicking novel.
“Ghost Song” by Sarah Rayne charmed me from its opening pages blending an Edwardian mystery (set in early 1900s in England) with a modern day investigation to find the owners of the dilapidated London music hall that may be haunted by a singing ghost.
"Jackie, Ethel, Joan: Women of Camelot," by J. Randy Taraborrelli
Finally, if you’d rather take someone else’s reality with you on your vacation, I’m recommending this non-fiction paperback. Taraborrelli has dished dirt on Madonna and Marilyn in other books, and in this one he writes about the three Kennedy women and their lives as “high-profiled wives.” The author knows how to research and research well. He also knows how to share the stories that make these women come alive on the page, capturing well how these women dealt with their philandering husbands and their aggressive political aspirations.
Visit www.CaroleBarrowman.com for more information.
