The Weekly Catch Up

What I Read On My Summer Vacation

One of my guideposts of a good couple of weeks on the beach: How many books I read. This time around I was able to get a fair share of novels. Here’s what I read and loved.

Right before I left for the beach, I finished The Correspondent by Virginia Evans, and I can’t stop raving about it. If you haven’t picked up that one, it’s an insightful and moving story of an elder woman’s letters to loved ones, companies and celebrities over many years. Although it’s fiction it begins to feel like these are real people.

Once I was at the beach, I began with the nonfiction narrative A Marriage at Sea by Sophie Elmhirst. Based on the true story of a couple who attempted to sail around the world in the seventies, I was drawn into their drama from the moment the whale splits their boat in half. How they survive mentally together kept me reading through the end.

You all know how much I love the work of Beatriz Williams. I devoured her latest Under the Stars while sitting on Lambert’s Cove beach in Martha’s Vineyard, even as the story was set in the fictitious Winthrop Island. It’s a love story, an art mystery and a tale of how families find each other in unexpected ways.

Murder Takes a Vacation was the first murder mystery I’ve read in ages. Laura Lippmann is the master of mystery and I chose this one since it’s set in Paris. The main character is an elderly woman who is bumbling and smart all at once, and she gets a second chance at love—until the romance takes a dark turn. I liked it a lot, and it was a super quick read, but it wasn’t my favorite.

Many bookstore owners kept telling me they loved Annie Hartnett’s The Road to Tender Hearts so I decided I had to give it a try. I fell in love with the quirky, humorous novel that is a very different kind of family story. If I tried to explain it to you, you probably would think: Weird! That’s what I thought when I read the flap. But honestly, if you love a heart tugging book about families in all of their unexpected shapes, you’ll love it. Plus, it’s a road trip book. I love stories about journeys.

Lastly, I finished off with Adam Ross’s Playworld. I’ve heard several authors rave about this one so I gave it a shot. Halfway through, I quit. It goes to show that not every book is for every one. The writing was lovely but the story began to wear on me until I thought: I’m not going to finish this one and that’s okay.

A fabulous review

Publisher’s Weekly was a little late in delivering their review of Our Last Vineyard Summer, but it was worth the wait. You can read the whole sparkling review here, but these were my favorite two lines: “The expert plotting is matched by pitch-perfect character work. Foster’s fans will adore this.” Literally jumping up and down in my house. :)

The expert plotting is matched by pitch-perfect character work. Foster’s fans will adore this.—Publisher’s Weekly

More Novels About Martha’s Vineyard

My buddy

Jules | Friday Night Readers

wrote the best article about all of her favorite novels set on Martha’s Vineyard. There are a few that you may be surprised by. Here’s a link to her awesome roundup. Also, if you haven’t subscribed to her Substack, she’s a wealth of book knowledge.

Media Diary

What I’m Listening To: Finding Grace, a novel with a plot twist at the beginning that will keep you reading. I’m loving it.

Podcast I Enjoyed: I listened to

Olivia Muenter

’s Bad on Paper podcast on a long drive recently and found the hours flying by. Thanks, Olivia!

Article Worth Reading: NY Mag: 63 Book to Screen Adaptations to Add to Your Reading List

What I’m Watching: My 10-year-old and I are catching up on the “Gilmore Girls” because we’ve never seen it; where have I been? Oh goodness, it’s so good! My 15-year-old and I just finished “Man on the Inside” with Ted Danson, which completely stole my heart.

I’m taking the last two weeks of summer off from Substack! See you all in September. xoxoxo

For all of my new readers and subscribers, welcome! We’re so excited you’re here. :)