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Summer at Forsaken Lake
by Michael D. Beil Maggie KneenWith their father en route to Africa for Doctors Without Borders, city-kids Nicholas and younger twin sisters Haley and Hetty are off to spend the summer with their Great-Uncle Nick at his house on Forsaken Lake. Despite some initial doubts, Nicholas is right at home in the country: he learns to sail, learns about his father as a boy, and makes fast friends with a local-girl, the tomboy Charlie.The summer takes a turn toward the mysterious, though, when Nicholas discovers an old movie that his father made as a boy: it tells the story of the local legend, The Seaweed Strangler, but was never finished. Before long Nicholas wants answers both about the legend, and about the movie. Together, he and Charlie work to uncover the truth and discover some long-buried family secrets along the way.In this lovely middle-grade novel, Michael D. Beil has invoked one of his own favorites, We Didn't Mean to Go to Sea, as well as other great summer books of years-past.From the Hardcover edition.
Summer at Hope Meadows: the perfect feel-good summer read (Animal Ark Revisited #1)
by Lucy Daniels'A stunning, beautiful tale of friendship and love... I laughed and I cried, and cannot recommend it highly enough!' Books of All Kinds The first novel in the heartwarming, countryside-set Hope Meadows series.Newly qualified vet Mandy Hope is leaving Leeds - and her boyfriend Simon - to return to the Yorkshire village she grew up in, where she'll help out with animals of all shapes and sizes in her parents' surgery.But it's not all plain sailing: Mandy clashes with gruff local Jimmy Marsh, and some of the villagers won't accept a new vet. Meanwhile, Simon is determined that Mandy will rejoin him back in the city. When tragedy strikes for her best friend James Hunter, and some neglected animals are discovered on a nearby farm, Mandy must prove herself. When it comes to being there for her friends - and protecting animals in need - she's prepared to do whatever it takes...This gorgeous and heartwarming novel, based on the globally bestselling Animal Ark series, is perfect for fans of Cathy Bramley and Katie Fforde. (P)2018 Hodder & Stoughton LimitedRead what everyone's saying about Hope Meadows:'An adorable read [with] a real sense of village community' Bookworms and Shutterbugs'Just the right amount of nostalgia... wonderful and very poignant' - The World is a Book Blog'Heartwarming and endearing... a gorgeous story filled with hope, joy, sweetness and light combined with the honesty of real life' - Amazon'An incredibly lovely story' - Rachel's Random Reads'The summer read of 2017!' Goodreads 'Will leave you feeling cosy and uplifted' Goodreads 'I loved every minute' Amazon'I had tears in my eyes at the first chapter' - Goodreads'Full of charm; the perfect feel-good summer read' Amazon'One of the best books I've read!' Amazon
Summer at Hope Meadows: the perfect feel-good summer read (Animal Ark Revisited #1)
by Lucy Daniels**Summer Days at Sunrise Farm, the new book in the Animal Ark revisited series, is currently available!**'A stunning, beautiful tale of friendship and love... I laughed and I cried, and cannot recommend it highly enough!' Books of All Kinds Newly qualified vet Mandy Hope is leaving Leeds - and her boyfriend Simon - to return to the Yorkshire village she grew up in, where she'll help out with animals of all shapes and sizes in her parents' surgery.But it's not all plain sailing: Mandy clashes with gruff local Jimmy Marsh, and some of the villagers won't accept a new vet. Meanwhile, Simon is determined that Mandy will rejoin him back in the city. When tragedy strikes for her best friend James Hunter, and some neglected animals are discovered on a nearby farm, Mandy must prove herself. When it comes to being there for her friends - and protecting animals in need - she's prepared to do whatever it takes...This gorgeous and heartwarming novel, based on the globally bestselling Animal Ark series, is perfect for fans of Cathy Bramley and Katie Fforde. Read what everyone's saying about Animal Ark Revisited:'An adorable read [with] a real sense of village community' Bookworms and Shutterbugs'Just the right amount of nostalgia... wonderful and very poignant' - The World is a Book Blog'Heartwarming and endearing... a gorgeous story filled with hope, joy, sweetness and light combined with the honesty of real life' - Amazon'An incredibly lovely story' - Rachel's Random Reads'The summer read of 2017!' Goodreads 'Will leave you feeling cosy and uplifted' Goodreads 'I loved every minute' Amazon'I had tears in my eyes at the first chapter' - Goodreads'Full of charm; the perfect feel-good summer read' Amazon'One of the best books I've read!' Amazon
Summer at Hope Meadows: the perfect feel-good summer read (Animal Ark Revisited #1)
by Lucy Daniels**Summer Days at Sunrise Farm, the new book in the Animal Ark revisited series, is currently available!**'A stunning, beautiful tale of friendship and love... I laughed and I cried, and cannot recommend it highly enough!' Books of All Kinds Newly qualified vet Mandy Hope is leaving Leeds - and her boyfriend Simon - to return to the Yorkshire village she grew up in, where she'll help out with animals of all shapes and sizes in her parents' surgery.But it's not all plain sailing: Mandy clashes with gruff local Jimmy Marsh, and some of the villagers won't accept a new vet. Meanwhile, Simon is determined that Mandy will rejoin him back in the city. When tragedy strikes for her best friend James Hunter, and some neglected animals are discovered on a nearby farm, Mandy must prove herself. When it comes to being there for her friends - and protecting animals in need - she's prepared to do whatever it takes...This gorgeous and heartwarming novel, based on the globally bestselling Animal Ark series, is perfect for fans of Cathy Bramley and Katie Fforde. Read what everyone's saying about Animal Ark Revisited:'An adorable read [with] a real sense of village community' Bookworms and Shutterbugs'Just the right amount of nostalgia... wonderful and very poignant' - The World is a Book Blog'Heartwarming and endearing... a gorgeous story filled with hope, joy, sweetness and light combined with the honesty of real life' - Amazon'An incredibly lovely story' - Rachel's Random Reads'The summer read of 2017!' Goodreads 'Will leave you feeling cosy and uplifted' Goodreads 'I loved every minute' Amazon'I had tears in my eyes at the first chapter' - Goodreads'Full of charm; the perfect feel-good summer read' Amazon'One of the best books I've read!' Amazon
Summer at Meadow Wood
by Amy Rebecca TanFrom the author of A Kind of Paradise comes a beautiful and heartfelt middle grade novel for fans of Ali Standish and Sally J. Pla, about a girl who finds comfort in the warm traditions and unexpected friendships of summer camp.Vic Brown did not want to go to camp this summer.Even though it’s nice being back with her friends at Meadow Wood, Vic still can’t forget about the secret reason her mom wanted her and her brother out of the house—or how much her family is going to change. When her home life is blowing up, it can be hard to focus on campfires and canoeing.But there is something about summer and surprises that go together like blueberry pancakes and maple syrup. And soon, Vic starts to feel like—just maybe—a summer at Meadow Wood was exactly what she needed.
Summer at Seastone
by Judith LennoxAn enthralling tale of the enduring power of friendship . . .Every summer Bea, Marissa and Emma meet at Seastone, Emma's family home on the remote Suffolk coast, to retreat from their daily lives and take comfort in their friendship. Over the years, their paths have not been easy. For Bea, the aftermath of a broken-hearted love affair influences the decisions she makes. For Marissa, the fear that her traumatic past will catch up with her haunts her still. And, for Emma, the sacrifices she has made for her family leave her full of longing and regret . . .At Seastone, Emma's extraordinary mother, Tamar, is on hand to offer support and encouragement, but Tamar harbours her own heartrending secret that stems from a brief encounter during the Second World War. Coming together as friends each summer, these courageous women gain the strength to face the challenges that lie ahead...
Summer at Seastone
by Judith LennoxAn enthralling tale of the enduring power of friendship . . .Every summer Bea, Marissa and Emma meet at Seastone, Emma's family home on the remote Suffolk coast, to retreat from their daily lives and take comfort in their friendship. Over the years, their paths have not been easy. For Bea, the aftermath of a broken-hearted love affair influences the decisions she makes. For Marissa, the fear that her traumatic past will catch up with her haunts her still. And, for Emma, the sacrifices she has made for her family leave her full of longing and regret . . .At Seastone, Emma's extraordinary mother, Tamar, is on hand to offer support and encouragement, but Tamar harbours her own heartrending secret that stems from a brief encounter during the Second World War. Coming together as friends each summer, these courageous women gain the strength to face the challenges that lie ahead...
Summer at Seastone: A mesmerising tale of the enduring power of friendship and a love that stems from the Second World War
by Judith LennoxAn enthralling tale of the enduring power of friendship, SUMMER AT SEASTONE is the latest mesmerising tale of drama and intrigue from Judith Lennox, the author of HIDDEN LIVES and THE SECRETS BETWEEN US. Not to be missed by readers of Rachel Hore and Kate Morton.Every summer Bea, Marissa and Emma meet at Seastone, Emma's family home on the remote Suffolk coast, to retreat from their daily lives and take comfort in their friendship. Over the years, their paths have not been easy. For Bea, the aftermath of a broken-hearted love affair influences the decisions she makes. For Marissa, the fear that her traumatic past will catch up with her haunts her still. And, for Emma, the sacrifices she has made for her family leave her full of longing and regret . . .At Seastone, Emma's extraordinary mother, Tamar, is on hand to offer support and encouragement, but Tamar harbours her own heartrending secret that stems from a brief encounter during the Second World War. Coming together as friends each summer, these courageous women gain the strength to face the challenges that lie ahead...(p) 2023 Headline Publishing Group Ltd
Summer at Shore Leave Cafe (A Shore Leave Cafe Romance #1)
by Abbie Williams"Abbie Williams is an author who excels at the romance genre. Her Shore Leave Cafe Romance series is a showcase for her ability to weave a contemporary tapestry, complete with rich characters, vivid settings and seductive moods."—Dean Mayes, Author of: The Hambledown Dream, Gifts of the Peramangk, The Recipient, The Artisan HeartJoelle Gordon is leaving Chicago and her cheating husband to head for her hometown of Landon, Minnesota. There, she returns to the Shore Leave Cafe, the lakeside diner the Davis women have run for decades. Joelle's family, including her three teenaged daughters, Camille, Tish, and Ruthann, is made up of strong women who have long believed in a curse upon them - a curse that robs them of the men they love.This summer has plenty in store for Joelle. Finding herself confronted with the reality of single motherhood, the last thing she expects is gorgeous, passionate Blythe Tilson, a summer employee at Shore Leave, with an uncertain past. Can Joelle resist the temptation of a younger man, and does she dare to consider loving someone again, or will the Davis family curse prove all too true?A story about heartbreak, blame, family, destiny, and the difficulties of returning home, Summer at the Shore Leave Cafe is the first book in A Shore Leave Cafe Romance series.A Shore Leave Cafe Romance series:1. Summer at the Shore Leave Cafe2. Second Chances3. A Notion of Love4. Winter at the White Oaks Lodge5. Wild Flower6. The First Law of Love7. Until Tomorrow8. The Way Back9. Return to YesterdayThe story continues in her most recent novel, A Place to Belong.Also from Abbie Williams, The Dove Saga1. Heart of a Dove2. Soul of a Crow3. Grace of a Hawk
Summer at Squee
by Andrea WangFrom Newbery Honor–winning author Andrea Wang, a new middle grade novel about a Chinese American tween who attends a Boston-based Chinese cultural overnight camp—and the many ways it transforms her.Phoenny Fang plans to have the best summer ever. She&’s returning to Summertime Chinese Culture, Wellness, and Enrichment Experience (SCCWEE for short and &“Squee&” to campers in the know), and this year she&’s a senior camper. That means she; her best friend, Lyrica Chu; and her whole Squad will have the most influence. It almost doesn&’t matter that her brother is a CIT (counselor-in-training) and that her mom and auntie are the camp directors. Time spent at Squee is sacred, glorious, and free.On the day Phoenny arrives, though, she learns that the Squad has been split up, and there&’s an influx of new campers this year. Phoenny is determined to be welcoming and to share all the things she loves about camp—who doesn&’t love spending hours talking about and engaging in cultural activities? But she quickly learns how out of touch she is with others&’ experiences, particularly of the campers who are adoptees. The same things that make her feel connected to her culture and community make some of the other campers feel excluded.Summer at Squee turns out to be even more transformative than Phoenny could&’ve imagined, with new friendships, her first crush, an epic show, and a bigger love for and understanding of her community.
Summer at Stallion Ridge
by Delores Fossen"Clear off space on your keeper shelf, Fossen has arrived."—Lori Wilde, New York Times bestselling authorCan two old friends rekindle the spark that brought them together when their pasts are littered with land mines?The chance to be near his young son is the only thing that could entice former SWAT commander Matt Corbin back to his hometown. Matt has only a few happy memories of his tough childhood in Last Ride, Texas, and most of them involve Emory Parkman. Once his teenage crush, she&’s now living in a cottage on his late grandfather&’s ranch, which seems like a good omen…until Matt learns Emory is looking into his family&’s history, a subject he&’d prefer remained closed.Emory&’s wedding-gown designs are said to bring luck—to everyone but her. Though twice bitten by romance that went sour, she&’s tempted to take a chance on the rancher next door. Emory and Matt&’s long-ago attempts at love never got a fair chance, but all these years later, their attraction is stronger than ever. Maybe by unearthing some of his ancestors&’ long-buried secrets, she can help him finally cast off the past&’s shadows and prove to Matt that the third time&’s the charm.A Last Ride, Texas NovelBook 1: Spring at Saddle RunBook 2: Christmas at Colts CreekBook 3: Summer at Stallion Ridge Book 4: Mornings at Rivers End Ranch
Summer at the Art Café
by Sue McDonaghShe’s hitting the road with the wind in her hair—and a hunger in her heart . . . If you won a gorgeous purple motorbike, and your husband said you were too fat for leathers and should sell it, would you do as you were told—or learn to ride it in secret? Artist and café owner Lucy Daumier has chosen the second option—but learning to ride isn’t easy, especially under the critical gaze of prickly motorcycle instructor Ash Connor. Gradually Lucy gets the hang of it, and in the process rediscovers the girl she used to be. So begins an exciting summer of new friendships and fun—as well as a realization that there’s more to Ash than meets the eye when she’s introduced to his seven-year-old daughter, Daisy. But Lucy’s newfound happiness is at risk as a spiteful family member wants to see her fail . . .
Summer at the Garden Cafe: A Novel (Finfarran Peninsula #2)
by Felicity Hayes-McCoyThe second in Felicity Hayes-McCoy's Finfarran Peninsula series, and the sequel to The Library at the Edge of the World—a heartwarming story about secrets between four generations of Irish women, and the healing powers of books, love, and friendship.The Garden Café, next to Lissbeg library, is a place where plans are formed and secrets shared, and where, even in high tourist season, people are never too busy to stop for a sandwich and a cup of tea. But twenty-one-year-old Jazz—daughter of the town’s librarian Hanna Casey—has a secret she can’t share. Still recovering from a car accident, and reeling from her father’s disclosures about his long-time affair, she’s taken a job at The Old Forge guesthouse, and begun to develop feelings for a man who’s strictly off-limits.Meanwhile, involved in her own new affair with architect Brian Morton, Hanna is unaware of the turmoil in Jazz’s life—until her manipulative ex-husband, Malcom, reappears trying to mend his relationship with their daughter. Rebuffed at every turn, Malcolm must return to London, but his mother, Louisa, is on the case. Unbeknown to the rest of the family, she hatches a plan, finding an unlikely ally in Hanna’s mother, the opinionated Mary Casey. Watching Jazz unravel, Hanna begins to wonder if secrets which Malcolm has forced her to keep may have harmed their beloved daughter more than she’d realized. But then, the Casey women are no strangers to secrets, something Hanna realizes when she discovers a journal, long buried in land she inherited from her great-aunt Maggie. Ultimately, it’s the painful lessons of the past that offer a way to the future, but it will take the shared experiences of four generations of women to find a way forward for Hanna and her family.
Summer at Willow Lake (The Lakeshore Chronicles #1)
by Susan WiggsFrom #1 New York Times bestselling author Susan WiggsThe Lakeshore Chronicles have captivated thousands of readers with unforgettable characters, warm humor and engaging stories. Dive into Summer at Willow Lake, the story that started it all!After breaking up with her fiancée, Olivia Bellamy reluctantly trades a trendy Manhattan summer for her family’s old resort camp in the Catskills to renovate the bungalow colony for her grandparents. Camp Kioga brings back old memories of her summers as a teenager, when she was still discovering her passions. The camp is now in disarray, and to her chagrin Olivia is forced to hire contractor Connor Davis—a still-smoldering flame from her own summers at camp.But as the days grow warm, not even the inviting blue waters of Willow Lake can cool the passions flaring or keep shocking secrets at bay. The nostalgic joy of summers past breathes new promise into a special place and people…a promise meant to last long after the season ends.Previously published.Read the Lakeshore Chronicles Series by Susan Wiggs:Book One: Summer at Willow LakeBook Two: The Winter LodgeBook Three: DocksideBook Four: Snowfall at Willow LakeBook Five: FiresideBook Six: Lakeshore ChristmasBook Seven: The Summer HideawayBook Eight: Marrying Daisy BellamyBook Nine: Return to Willow LakeBook Ten: Candlelight ChristmasBook Eleven: Starlight on Willow Lake
Summer Ball
by Mike LupicaWhen you’re the smallest kid playing a big man’s game, the challenges never stop-especially when your name is Danny Walker. Leading your travel team to the national championship may seem like a dream come true, but for Danny, being at the top just means the competition tries that much harder to knock him off. Now Danny’s leaving Middletown for the summer and heading to Right Way basketball camp, where he’s out of his element and maybe out of his league. The country’s best ballers are in attendance, and Danny will need to raise his game if he wants to match up. But it won’t be easy. Old rivals and new battles leave Danny wondering if he really has what it takes to stand tall. .
The Summer Bed
by Ann Brashares"A gorgeously written novel on love, loss, and family," raves Nicola Yoon, the bestselling author of Everything, Everything, about this novel from the author of the Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants series. Two teenagers share the same room on alternating weeks at a shared summer house, imagining what it would be like to meet in real life. Previously published as The Whole Thing Together.For Sasha, summer means time at her family's sprawling old house out on Long Island. For Ray, it's the same. Sasha and Ray aren't related--and they've never met--but long ago, before they were born, Sasha's dad and Ray's mom were married. Then came a bitter divorce, remarriages, and a new generation of children. Now, the two families have an arrangement: use the summerhouse at your designated time and never cross paths. Sasha and Ray do connect, though, by email--joking around, confiding in one another, forming a friendship. They've shared so much already . . . what would happen if they met in real life?★ "Masterful." --PW, Starred★ "A continuous, consistently engrossing narrative. . . . Deeply moving." --The Bulletin, Starred "A gorgeous exploration of family, secrets, and love." --Teen Vogue "You absolutely must read it." --PopCrush
The Summer Before (The Baby-Sitters Club)
by Ann M. MartinThe BSC returns in this fantastic prequel from Newbery Honor author Ann M. Martin. Before there was the Baby-Sitters Club, there were four girls named Kristy Thomas, Mary Anne Spier, Claudia Kishi, and Stacey McGill. As they start the summer before seventh grade (also before they start the BSC), each of them is on the cusp of a big change. Kristy is still hung up on hoping that her father will return to her family. Mary Anne has to prove to her father that she's no longer a little girl who needs hundreds of rules. Claudia is navigating her first major crush on a boy. And Stacey is leaving her entire New York City life behind...
The Summer Before the War: A Novel
by Helen SimonsonNew York Times-bestselling author Helen Simonson returns with a splendid historical novel full of the same wit, romance and insight into the manners and morals of small-town British life as her beloved Major Pettigrew's Last Stand.It's the summer of 1914 and life in the sleepy village of Rye, England is about to take an interesting turn. Agatha Kent, a canny force for progress, is expecting an unusual candidate to be the school's Latin teacher: Beatrice Nash, a young woman of good breeding in search of a position after the death of her father. (Never has there been a woman Latin teacher.) Agatha's nephews, meanwhile, have come to spend the summer months, as always, both with dreams of their own: Daniel, the poet, to publish a literary journal in Paris, and Hugh, to graduate from medical studies and marry his surgeon's daughter thus inheriting a lucrative practice. But then Hugh is sent to pick up Beatrice from the train station and life, of course, changes. As with Major Pettigrew's Last Stand, the quintessential English village becomes the stage on which entrenched tradition, class, ignorance, family ties and love play out. Here, these characters and others we come to love and root for become characters we hope and pray for when the shadow of the Great War looms ever closer to home.
The Summer Before the War: A Novel
by Helen SimonsonNEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • &“A novel to cure your Downton Abbey withdrawal . . . a delightful story about nontraditional romantic relationships, class snobbery and the everybody-knows-everybody complications of living in a small community.&”—The Washington PostThe bestselling author of Major Pettigrew&’s Last Stand returns with a breathtaking novel of love on the eve of World War I that reaches far beyond the small English town in which it is set.NAMED ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY THE WASHINGTON POST AND NPR East Sussex, 1914. It is the end of England&’s brief Edwardian summer, and everyone agrees that the weather has never been so beautiful. Hugh Grange, down from his medical studies, is visiting his Aunt Agatha, who lives with her husband in the small, idyllic coastal town of Rye. Agatha&’s husband works in the Foreign Office, and she is certain he will ensure that the recent saber rattling over the Balkans won&’t come to anything. And Agatha has more immediate concerns; she has just risked her carefully built reputation by pushing for the appointment of a woman to replace the Latin master. When Beatrice Nash arrives with one trunk and several large crates of books, it is clear she is significantly more freethinking—and attractive—than anyone believes a Latin teacher should be. For her part, mourning the death of her beloved father, who has left her penniless, Beatrice simply wants to be left alone to pursue her teaching and writing. But just as Beatrice comes alive to the beauty of the Sussex landscape and the colorful characters who populate Rye, the perfect summer is about to end. For despite Agatha&’s reassurances, the unimaginable is coming. Soon the limits of progress, and the old ways, will be tested as this small Sussex town and its inhabitants go to war. Praise for The Summer Before the War &“What begins as a study of a small-town society becomes a compelling account of war and its aftermath.&”—Woman&’s Day &“This witty character study of how a small English town reacts to the 1914 arrival of its first female teacher offers gentle humor wrapped in a hauntingly detailed story.&”—Good Housekeeping &“Perfect for readers in a post–Downton Abbey slump . . . The gently teasing banter between two kindred spirits edging slowly into love is as delicately crafted as a bone-china teacup. . . . More than a high-toned romantic reverie for Anglophiles—though it serves the latter purpose, too.&”—The Seattle Times
Summer Bird Blue
by Akemi Dawn BowmanA mixed race teen struggles to find her way back to her love of music in the wake of her sister’s tragic death in this incisive, lyrical novel that’s perfect for fans of Nicola Yoon and Jennifer Niven, by the author of William C. Morris Award finalist Starfish. <P><P> Rumi Seto spends a lot of time worrying she doesn’t have the answers to everything. What to eat, where to go, whom to love. But there is one thing she is absolutely sure of—she wants to spend the rest of her life writing music with her younger sister, Lea. Then Lea dies in a car accident, and her mother sends her away to live with her aunt in Hawaii while she deals with her own grief. Now thousands of miles from home, Rumi struggles to navigate the loss of her sister, being abandoned by her mother, and the absence of music in her life. <P><P> With the help of the “boys next door”—a teenage surfer named Kai, who smiles too much and doesn’t take anything seriously, and an eighty-year-old named George Watanabe, who succumbed to his own grief years ago—Rumi attempts to find her way back to her music, to write the song she and Lea never had the chance to finish. Aching, powerful, and unflinchingly honest, Summer Bird Blue explores big truths about insurmountable grief, unconditional love, and how to forgive even when it feels impossible.
A Summer Bird-Cage: A Novel
by Margaret DrabbleAttractive and witty, Sarah has just graduated from Oxford and started a new job at the BBC. As she immerses herself in the excitement of 1960s London, her beautiful older sister, Louise, marries the famous, though admittedly difficult, novelist Stephen Halifax. Louise initially revels in the newfound wealth and glamor that her marriage affords her, but soon she finds her relationship the subject of bitter gossip and scathing tabloid headlines. Despite the distance that has always existed between the two sisters, Sarah finds herself bound to Louise as she faces the scrutiny of London society and the two begin to forge a connection they had previously thought impossible. With Margaret Drabble’s signature eye for the subtleties and intricacies of everyday life, A Summer Bird-Cage is captivating, a dazzling, resonant portrait of two young women struggling to find their footing in a city as fickle as it is intoxicating.
The Summer Book
by Kathryn Davis Thomas Teal Tove JanssonIn The Summer Book Tove Jansson distills the essence of the summer--its sunlight and storms--into twenty-two crystalline vignettes. This brief novel tells the story of Sophia, a six-year-old girl awakening to existence, and Sophia's grandmother, nearing the end of hers, as they spend the summer on a tiny unspoiled island in the Gulf of Finland. The grandmother is unsentimental and wise, if a little cranky; Sophia is impetuous and volatile, but she tends to her grandmother with the care of a new parent. Together they amble over coastline and forest in easy companionship, build boats from bark, create a miniature Venice, write a fanciful study of local bugs. They discuss things that matter to young and old alike: life, death, the nature of God and of love. "On an island," thinks the grandmother, "everything is complete." In The Summer Book, Jansson creates her own complete world, full of the varied joys and sorrows of life.Tove Jansson, whose Moomintroll comic strip and books brought her international acclaim, lived for much of her life on an island like the one described in The Summer Book, and the work can be enjoyed as her closely observed journal of the sounds, sights, and feel of a summer spent in intimate contact with the natural world.
The Summer Book Club: A Feel-Good Novel
by Susan Mallery"A charming, feel-good story of the ways that devoted friends—and great books!—can change our lives with the summer vibes I&’m needing right now! There&’s a dose of Susan Mallery magic in all her novels; this one just might have an extra scoop!" – Kristy Woodson Harvey, New York Times bestselling authorThe rules of summer book club are simple: No sad books No pressure Yessssss, wine!Besties Laurel and Paris are excited to welcome Cassie to the group. This year, the book club is all about fill-your-heart reads, an escape from the chaos of the everyday—running a business, raising a family, juggling a hundred to-dos. Even the dog is demanding (but the bestest boy).Since Laurel&’s divorce, she feels like the Worst Mom Ever. Her skepticism of men may have scarred her vulnerable daughters. Cassie has an unfortunate habit of falling for ridiculous man-boys who dump her once she fixes them. Paris knows good men exist. She&’s still reeling after chasing off the only one brave enough—and foolish enough—to marry her.Inspired by the heroines who risk everything for fulfillment, Laurel, Paris and Cassie begin to take chances—big chances—in life, in love. Facing an unwritten chapter can be terrifying. But it can be exhilarating, too, if only they can find the courage to change.&“Susan Mallery is a maven of heartwarming summer reads! The Summer Book Club is a page-turner about the best things in life: books, friendship, love, and finding the courage to live our best lives.&” – Katherine Center, New York Times bestselling authorDon&’t miss Susan Mallery&’s brand new novel, BEACH VIBES, a dazzling, clever and poignant story about the family we&’re born into—and the one we create for ourselves, coming March 2025! Discover more by Susan Mallery: One Big Happy Family For the Love of Summer The Happiness Plan Home Sweet Christmas The Boardwalk Bookshop
Summer by the Sea (Mills and Boon Ser.)
by Susan WiggsA successful restaurateur gets a second chance with her childhood sweetheart in this romance classic by a #1 New York Times–bestselling author.With a little determination and a lot of charm, Rosa Capoletti took a run-down pizza joint and turned it into an award-winning restaurant, voted the “best place to propose” three years in a row. For Rosa, though, there has been no real romance since her teenaged love affair with Alexander Montgomery ended without explanation a decade ago. But guess who’s just come back to town?Reunited at the beach house where they first fell in love, Rosa and Alexander discover that the secrets of the past are not what they seem. Now, Rosa searches for happiness with the man who once broke her heart—and learns that in love, as in life, there are second chances.Originally published in 2004.“This is the perfect beach read.” —Debbie Macomber“Wiggs excels at portraying the delicate dynamics among lovers, friends and family members, and her keen awareness of sensory detail ensures that the scents and sounds of Rosa’s kitchen are just as palpable as the heady attraction between the protagonists.” —Publishers Weekly“A delightful summertime story of star-crossed lovers. . . . The romance reader will enjoy Summer by the Sea. It’s made a new fan out of this reviewer.” —BookReporter
Summer Cannibals
by Melanie HobsonA bold and gripping literary debut about three very different sisters who return to their family home to face imminent tragedy and their tumultuous pasts.Summoned to their magnificent family home on the shores of Lake Ontario--a paradisiacal mansion perched on an escarpment above the city--three adult sisters, George, Jax, and Pippa, come together in what seems like an act of family solidarity. Pregnant and unwell, the youngest, Pippa, has left her husband and four young children in New Zealand and returned home to heal. But home to this family means secrets, desire, and vengeance--and feasting on the sexual appetites and weaknesses of others. Each daughter has her own particular taste and overlaying everything are their parents, with unquenchable desires and cravings of their own. As the affluent family endures four intense days in one another's company, old fissures reappear. When long-buried truths finally come to light, the sisters and their parents must face the unthinkable consequences of their actions. Summer Cannibals is a riveting, psychological story of lust, betrayal, and family from a dazzling new voice in Canadian fiction.