Even though I don’t have as much time as I would like for it, reading is on my list of favorite things! There is just something about getting lost in a good book that makes everything else just melt away. But, I have to make a confession….I’m a serial book starter…I’m famous for having about 12 books that I’m half way into at any given time – with no end in sight for any of them! Don’t ask me why, because I’ve always been that way. There’s just too much of a thrill that comes from opening a new book! But, don’t worry – I’m no quitter! I’ll get to the end of all of them some day! 🤪
Thankfully I have some wonderful friends in my life that do ALL the dirty work, and actually start AND finish books so they can filter a neverending stream of a new amazing reads my way!
Enter…Kim the book lady! When you look up reading enthusiast (bookworm 😉) in the dictionary, I would expect you will find Kim’s face on the first page. She ALWAYS has her ear to the ground for the hottest new books, most of the time before they even find their way to the best seller list! It’s always exciting to see what’s on her list, and I love that I’m lucky enough to get frequent updates on her latest find!
Kim has been gracious enough to allow me to share her insights with the world, and will 🤞 hopefully be a regular contributor to An aMUSEd Life for a long while!
Without further ado…Here’s your MUST HAVE Summer Reading List for 2021!
Mick, June, Nina, Jay, Hud and Kit…the Riva Clan. Summer, surfing and the biggest party of the year in Malibu, 1983, forms the setting for the latest Taylor Jenkins Reid novel. If you’ve read her before, you may remember Mick as one of Evelyn Hugo’s Husbands, but this is the story of Mick’s children. Alternating between the hours of the day of the party, as well as the past years leading up to the party, this is a must for your Summer Reading List.
Get Malibu Rising HERE
Elin Hilderbrand has a reputation for delivering Summer Beach Reads and her latest, Golden Girl, does not disappoint. Vivi Howe, a local Nantucket Novelist, dies unexpectedly but is granted the privilege of watching her loved ones through the aftermath of her death for 75 days, courtesy of a guardian angel. What unfolds in the lives of her three children is nothing short of page turning. A wonderful cast of supporting characters makes this unputdownable.
Get Golden Girl HERE
Our favorite book-loving killer, Joe, is back in the third installment of the You series by Caroline Kepnes. A bit tamer in this book, we meet Joe just released from an extended stay in jail. He starts over on Bainbridge Island and sets his sights on Mary Kay DiMarco, a dreamer who works at the local library with hopes of owning her own bookstore someday. In true Joe fashion, the obsession is real and the passion to make her his holds no limits. If you read the first two novels, dive into this one…if you haven’t, now is a good time to start.
Get You Love Me HERE
This cover screams Summer Beach Read! All the feels in this book…it has romance, happiness, adventure, sadness, love, loss, you name it, this book covers it. At the heart of this story is a woman who finds herself after her life changes drastically when she loses her mother as a teenager and becomes the guardian of her younger sister. Told in alternating viewpoints between the sisters as well as flashback and present day timelines, it’s definitely one that will be on your mind even after you finish.
Get Meet Me in Paradise HERE
Not a new release, but filming just wrapped on the movie adaptation of this book from 2018. Book before Movie is a must! Kya is a survivor who is left to live her life in isolated swamplands on limited resources with very little adult supervision. Present day tells of a crime that was committed of which Kya is accused, while flashback lends the story of her life and how she has herself in the present situation. While at times overly detailed, it becomes necessary to form for the reader her lifestyle and what ultimately leads to the crimes outcome. Looking forward to seeing how the movie adapts the book.
Get Where the Crawdads Sing HERE
Enjoy your summer reading!!! Go ahead…Start them all at the same time if you want…No judgement here! 😉