We’re heading into the best time of year for reading – the lazy days of summer! Hopefully we’ve all got some plans to hit a beach with a stack of books (I definitely do!) So, Wickeds and readers, what’s on the list this year?
Liz: I’ve got a few things on my list – finally picked up The Handmaid’s Tale, and I’m getting caught up on my William Kent Krueger series. Also have Walter Mosley’s Little Green, in preparation for this year’s Crime Bake, as well as Harlan Coben’s Caught.
Julie: I am adding some thrillers to my TBR list, and am looking for suggestions! Especially with a female protagonist. Need to catch up with the Wickeds, and am also planning on reading Walter Mosley. Can’t wait to see him at Crime Bake this year.
Edith: Julie, I recommend Ingrid Thoft’s series, with a female protag in the Boston area. As for me, I’m excited to have Kaitlyn Dunnet’s new Crime and Punctuation and Leslie Budewitz’s As the Christmas Cookie Crumbles on the stack, and I’m also reading a book called The World as I Hear It by Lansing V Hall published in 1878. It’s about his life as a blind man and it’s research for a character I’m including in my fifth Quaker Midwife Mystery. Then I want to finally read some Ann Cleeves. Where should I start?
Barb: I also have Crime and Punctuation high on my tbr pile, like starting it tonight. In the meantime, I read R. G. Belsky’s Yesterday’s News. He’s on a panel I’m moderating at the Maine Crime Wave today. Since the panel is titled “Irresistible Openings,” I only planned to read the first scene to prepare. However, the opening must have been irresistible, because it sucked me right through and I finished the book last night.
Sherry: I just finished an interesting thriller written in 2004 called Monkeewrench by P.J. Tracy. And I’m looking forward to reading Darker Than Any Shadow by TIna Whittle. And as mentioned by others Crime and Punctuation!
Readers: What is on your summer reading list?
Edith and Barb, I hope you enjoy Crime & Punctuation. Since I’m working on another entry in my other cozy series, I’ve been reading non cozy mystery/suspense. I can recommend Patricia McLinn’s Proof of Innocence and Nora Roberts’ Shelter in Place. The latter is set in Maine and Roberts has an odd concept of a Nor’easter, but she’s a fantastic storyteller. Summer reading plans include Cornelia Kidd’s Death and a Pot of Chowder.and Carola Dunn’s The Corpse at the Crystal Palace . . . and of course any and all new books from the Wickeds!
I plan on reading Crime and Punctuation this weekend.
Just finished the wonderful Library at the End of the World. Currently enjoying a YA, Greenglass House. On the TBR pile, Denise Swanson’s new series Tart of Darkness. A book of essays by New Hampshire’s Edie Clark, As Simple as That. The newest Jean Luc Bannelec mystery in Brittany, The
Fleur de Sel Murders. Also Lethal Licorice and Barb’s Stowed Away. Plenty waiting on my Kindle and Nook readers. So many book, so little time :-). –Kate, writing as c. t. collier
The Monkeewrench series is one of my favorites. Sadly one half of P.J. Tracy has died. Her daughter is continuing the series after a break.
I forgot, I’m also going to read Into the Woods, a collection of stories, poems, and essays edited by Ramona DeFelice Long!
I don’t have a “list” as much as “there are lots of things to get to this summer.” I can’t even really count my Goodreads collection as a list because I seem to have developed squirrel syndrome with regards to books. Every time I think I should go to the list, something pops up in front of me.
My current read is HOUSE RULES by Mike Lawson. I promised Joe Ide I’d have both of his read by Bouchercon, or I owe him a drink. And I really want to read IN FARLEIGH FIELD from Rhys Bowen.
I loved In Farleigh Field, Liz, and Tuscan Child, too.
That should be HOUSE WITNESS. The boat is called “House Rules.” LOL
Squirrel syndrome… love it, perfect description! (I have the same problem.)
Finding the bottom of my TBR pile! No, seriously, I hope to get around to many of the books mentioned here, but I’m saving the latest Louise Penny and Ann Cleeves books for a special treat when I really need one!
I’d like to perform a miracle this summer and read all FOUR HUNDRED books that are in the TBR BOXES piled behind me in my den. Some of them got back to 2014 and encompass whole series. It’s that or find a cure for any disease that needs one. Both are nearly unattainable. LOL
Last fall I went nuts at 3 book sales in 3 days. And all the books I’ve bought since then, including way too many ebooks. So…. I’m really trying to crank out the “paper books” to get the physical stack down to not taking over the room. I”m doing pretty well, but there are still a lot to go! Good thing, I’m a fast reader.
Crime and Punctuation was awesome and fun! I’m getting ready for Bouchercon and trying to read Passport to Murder by Mary Angela, the family skeleton series by Leigh Perry, Lane Stone’s Keep Calm and Collie on, and Kait Carson’s Death by Blue Water. All the other authors that I’m familiar with I’ve already read at least one of their books. I have a feeling I need to start squirreling away money to buy books at Bouchercon!
Saving The Dark Angel by Elly Griffith for vacation, but Lowcountry Bookshop by Susan Boyer and of course Kate Carlisle and Leslie Budewitz ‘s newest. Also Sheila Connolly’s new series! I could make a long list!
Hello everyone-Thank you for the great reading list!
Julie, I recommend Gregg Hurwitz for thrillers. His series doesn’t have a female main character, but he did write one set in the Brazilian jungle that had one. Can’t remember the name right now. If you are interested, I’ll look it up for you over the weekend.
I’ve mentioned/complained about this to a couple of the Wicked’s already, but I find myself in an interesting situation. For the first time in years, I have very few books I’ve been asked to review for June or July. I’m not complaining about that since it allows me to tackle my TBR stacks and stacks.
But then comes August. In that month I have these new books coming out by authors I enjoy:
Maddie Day (Edith), Cate Conte (Liz), Libby Klein, Shari Randall (all of these are techincally 7/31), Donna Andrews, Kellye Garrett, Lucy Burdette, Rhys Bowen, Julia Buckley, Tina Kashian. I’m already tired just thinking of trying to get all those books read so I don’t fall behind on any of these series.
A great topic. I have ambitions for a couple of excellent and very long non-fiction books for summer car and plane trips. Alexander Hamilton bio by Ron Chernow and a book about the Salem witch trials by Stacy Schiff. Plus of course a stack of mysteries I will stockpile before travels in August and September. there is always a TBR pile ready to go.
Triss, reading-while-in-motion envy is oozing out of every pore. Enjoy your car and plane travels. Happy Summer.
I plan on clearing some of my TBR list on my Kindle!
Wow, great lists! I just read and reviewed “As the Christmas Cookie Crumbles” and I loved it! I have a couple more cozy mysteries, plus books by Elin Hilderbrand, Kimberly Stuart, Kate Morton, and more. (All these people keep writing Such. Good. Books. 😂 For non-fiction I’m finishing Educated by Tara Westover, and Big Magic by Elizabeth Gilbert, among others perhaps.
Cardboard Castles, Morality for Beautiful Girls, 43 past-due ARCs…(not to mention the 11,896 emails which are a whale of a lot better than last week’s 14k+).