THE SWIMMERS by Julie Otsuka

Books like this are why I love to read. The Swimmers is a small but mighty novella with language that floats off the page and into our minds, hearts and shared human experience. The book begins with a group of obsessed swimmers who notice a crack at the bottom of their local pool. This crack is a moving metaphor of loss and grief written with some of the most beautiful prose I have read in years.

LOST AND FOUND by Kathryn Schulz

Sitting down with this memoir is like talking to your best friend about everything—the details of your day to more profound insights about life and death. I’d follow Kathryn Schulz to any page in this book as she provides philosophical musings on two of our most mysterious but universal human experiences, dealing with death and finding love.

THE BETRAYAL OF ANNE FRANK by Rosemary Sullivan

As a history buff and mystery lover, The Betrayal of Anne Frank was calling my name. This cold case investigation attempts to determine who betrayed Anne Frank and her family. Offering new technology and recently discovered materials, Sullivan documents the international team that takes us back to wartime Amsterdam in 1945 to uncover the truth beyond the diary.

THE VIOLIN CONSPIRACY by Brendan Slocumb

The Violin Conspiracy was music to my bookish soul and one of my favorite reads this winter. The main character of Ray is unforgettable in his plight to find his stolen Stradivarius violin and win one of the most prestigious musical competitions in the world. This saga of sonatas, suspense and surprise delivers as a commentary on racism and prejudice as well as being an electrifying thriller and coming of age story.



NOTES ON AN EXECUTION by Danya Kukafka

Lovers of true crime and serial killer documentaries should take note of this novel. Notes on an Execution may begin with serial killer on death row Ansel Packer, but this story is told through the eyes of the women who knew him: a mother, a sister and a homicide detective. Gorgeous sentences and literary suspense flip the serial killer narrative from the violence of men to the voices of women.

THE LIONESS by Chris Bohjalian available May 10th

Old Hollywood meets an African safari adventure by an author who promises “to never write the same book twice.” The diverse cast of characters and their back stories, shocking plot developments and stunning safari details in these pages made for a “read in one sitting” experience.

Mary Kay Andrews, Nancy Thayer And Jennifer Weiner

Summer begins with Mary Kay Andrews, and The Homewreckers is the ultimate house-flipping book with enough romance, mystery and renovation fun to fill up an old home. Summer Love by Nantucket author Nancy Thayer brings old secrets to light when four friends gather on-island for a summer to remember. The Summer Place, out May 10th, is one of Jennifer Weiner’s best novels, and I loved the characters, the Cape Cod home and setting (a character in itself) and the funny observations on pandemic living. These three books smell of suntan lotion, the ocean breeze and that sweet summer spirit.