HOW I SPENT MY SUMMER VACATION
by Lauren Baratz-Logsted
It has come to my attention that some of my sister GBCers have been knocked out of Internet commission by Hurrican Irene. Even though according to my friend in Colorado, the weather map yesterday made it look like Irene was going to blaze her trail right through my living room in Danbury, CT, I've escaped unscathed.
So here I am, pinch-hitting, with one of the most basic of posts.
Remember when teachers used to ask you to keep track of what you read over the summer and report back? Well, if I told you what I'd read all summer, that would be one long post. But I can tell you what I read on my actual vacation, last week, when I was in the Cape and Providence. Seven days, seven books, all by GBCers. What can I say? When I'm part of a group blog or writing forum, I always support the others there with my buying dollars. That way, I can say to them, like my dear mom says to me, "See? At least you know at least one person will read your book."
Here, then, are The Vacation 7:
THE COUGAR CLUB, by Susan McBride. Considering I'm of a certain age myself, this is just fun fun fun.
It has come to my attention that some of my sister GBCers have been knocked out of Internet commission by Hurrican Irene. Even though according to my friend in Colorado, the weather map yesterday made it look like Irene was going to blaze her trail right through my living room in Danbury, CT, I've escaped unscathed.
So here I am, pinch-hitting, with one of the most basic of posts.
Remember when teachers used to ask you to keep track of what you read over the summer and report back? Well, if I told you what I'd read all summer, that would be one long post. But I can tell you what I read on my actual vacation, last week, when I was in the Cape and Providence. Seven days, seven books, all by GBCers. What can I say? When I'm part of a group blog or writing forum, I always support the others there with my buying dollars. That way, I can say to them, like my dear mom says to me, "See? At least you know at least one person will read your book."
Here, then, are The Vacation 7:
THE COUGAR CLUB, by Susan McBride. Considering I'm of a certain age myself, this is just fun fun fun.
LOVE IN TRANSLATION, by Wendy Nelson Tokunaga. I loved Wendy's first culture-clash novel of East meets West, Midori by Moonlight, and her latest does not disappoint.
FRIDAY MORNINGS AT NINE, by Marilyn Brant. Three married girlfriends - not married to each other, obviously - decide to maybe engage in some infidelity. What could possibly go wrong???
NAMES MY SISTERS CALL ME, by Megan Crane. I've only ever had a brother and I just went gaga for this book about three sisters who do not have an easy time getting along.
NAMES MY SISTERS CALL ME, by Megan Crane. I've only ever had a brother and I just went gaga for this book about three sisters who do not have an easy time getting along.
BEAUTIFUL DISASTER, by Laura Spinella. A moving story about a woman torn between two men in quite an original way.
MOTHERS AND OTHER LIARS, by Amy Bourret. A provocative look at the choice's one woman makes to save her child.
THE OTHER LIFE, by Ellen Meister. A novel twist on the "If I'd lived this life instead" story.
Now these are by no means all the books I've ever read by GBCers - far from it! - but I only had seven days, after all, and these were the seven books at the top of the stack.
So how about you all? What did you read on your summer vacation?
Be well. Don't forget to write.
THE OTHER LIFE, by Ellen Meister. A novel twist on the "If I'd lived this life instead" story.
Now these are by no means all the books I've ever read by GBCers - far from it! - but I only had seven days, after all, and these were the seven books at the top of the stack.
So how about you all? What did you read on your summer vacation?
Be well. Don't forget to write.
Vacation? I don't know that word... but thank you so much for the great list of recommendations -- these books sound terrific! Now I have seven new ones on the top of my to-be-read list. :)
ReplyDeleteGosh, I love the idea of reading seven books in seven days. That's the kind of vacation I'd adore, all that time to simply escape into someone else's world! Huzzah for supporting the Girlfriends!
ReplyDeleteWhat is this word vacation?? Thanks for the good recommendations!
ReplyDeleteI see by the comments that I'm not the only one who didn't get a vacation this summer! But the reading didn't stop, that's for sure. So happy you liked The Cougar Club, Lauren! I sure had fun writing it! Read Ellen's, Laura's, and Marilyn's latest titles, too, and enjoyed them all (and I love Marilyn's A SUMMER IN EUROPE, which comes out in late November that I got to sneak a peek at!). Let's see, I recently finished Barbara Delinksy's ESCAPE, which I really liked, and Susan Elizabeth Phillips' CALL ME IRRESISTIBLE, which was hot Texas fun. Also, IN SEARCH OF THE ROSE NOTES by Emily Arsenault was a cool moody mystery, and Kristina Riggle's THING WE DIDN'T SAY was a gritty look at the struggles of a blended family. So many good books, not enough time to sit down and read as often as I'd like. But I keep trying! :-)
ReplyDeleteOops, that's THINGS WE DIDN'T SAY by Kristina Riggle!
ReplyDeleteLauren, thank you for including Friday Mornings on your vacation reading list ;). I've read so many of my GBC sisters' books, too, including your novel Crazy Beautiful, which I loved!
ReplyDeleteWaving to Susan above (yay on Little Black Dress finally being out -- it's awesome!) and thanks...
I read Barbara Samuel's novel How to Bake a Perfect Life recently and am in the middle of Dani Shapiro's Family History. Both are excellent.
Oh, thank goodness Lauren, I owe you one!! I was so relieved to log onto GBC, from my temporary internet, and find this post!! Thanks so much!! If you're pinch hitting, I think you just lobbed one out of the park! We are still without power and a sunroom roof! They're telling us maybe Friday for electric. In the meantime, my Nook & book light are keeping me company! Great suggestions, but IDK, one of them is kind of been there, done that for me!(-;
ReplyDeleteI managed a few books this summer (thanks to my nook) -- mostly works by debut authors I am acquainted with.
ReplyDeleteDarkness and Light by J. A Belfield
Little White Lies by Aimee Laine
Seven Day Loan by Tiffany Reisz
Cutlass and Musket, Tales of Piratical Skullduggery (because one of teh shorts included was mine)
I did actually get in a vacation this summer--thank goodness--and I was thrilled NOT to move this summer. That has been a standard feature of our lives lately.
ReplyDeleteI've been on a historical/travel kick:
Death on Tour by Janice Hamrick and The Illusion of Murder by Carol McCleary both take place in Egypt (one present day, one historical).
I read a few classics: Agatha Christie's Death on the Nile and Helen MacInnes Above Suspicion.
Also liked these thrillers: Come and Find Me by Hallie Ephron and Learning to Swim by Sara J. Henry.