The second installment of my summer reading list follows. I’m still busily listening away as I work on my Fall projects. Would love to know what you were reading this summer. Drop a comment to let me know
A Mothers Day gift from my Daughter. Great read with an action plan for every personality type to encourage others to vote in November. At this fragile moment in history, Emily Amick, lawyer and former counsel to Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, alongside New York Times bestselling author and Betches Media cofounder Sami Sage, want to reframe civic engagement as a form of self-care: an assertion of one’s values and self-respect. This book is not just about voting, but about claiming your singular place in your country and community.
This was another long wonderful read, Hannah weaves a saga of a family’s struggle to survive set against the backdrop of The Great Depression and the Dust Bowl of America’s Plains states. The Four Winds is about a country in crisis, and how one woman thrives amidst the chaos. There are lessons to be learned from history, and Elsa’s bravery in The Four Winds inspires us to draw strength and learn from the past. I learned so much from Hannah’s storytelling. She is a master of weaving fact into fictional characters. Her graphic depiction of a sandstorm left me gasping for air.
A wonderful mystery. The main character, Jess has recently lost her job and shows up to her half-brother's apartment in Paris looking for refuge. At her arrival, he's nowhere to be found. As Jess tries to track down his whereabouts, she starts to uncover the secrets of this building and its residents. If I said anymore, it would spoil all the fun of sorting thru the characters and clues.
Another amazingly done “who done it”. So much fun following Toby who, after a traumatic event, seeks solace in his family's ancestral home. Dark secrets and a mysterious skull hidden in the elm tree unravel a gripping tale of deception and betrayal. Like the layers of an onion, when you think you know where this is headed, you don’t.
Yes, another mystery. This one was fun, but a little more like a Hallmark Mystery. The story is about the wedding of Jules Keegan and Will Slater, which takes place on an island off the coast of Ireland. The book is a traditional whodunit murder mystery, similar to the writing style of Agatha Christie. It has lots of old friend drama, sex and flirting. It's filled with plot twists and surprise endings, and the murder victim and culprit aren't revealed until the end.
My art studio decided on a Movie night. We all watched this charming movie and then gathered together one evening to discuss the beauty and depth of Maudie (take a peak at the trailer). One of our fellow artists lives in Nova Scotia, very near where Maudie livedand actually took a field trip for us. She walked us through the museum narrating some snippets. This film is the true story of the unlikely romance between reclusive Everett Lewis and his housekeeper, a fragile yet determined woman named Maudie. Maudie, bright-eyed but afflicted with severe arthritis, yearns to be independent, and to create art. Unexpectedly, Everett finds himself falling in love. This movie was so rich both visually and with its evolving story. You won’t be disappointed.
