Breathing Under Water

Berry is an elementary school vice principal who is very good at her job and eager to become principal when the position opens in the fall. At home, her attention is focused on her teenage son, Leo. Bright, sweet, and autistic, Leo struggles socially, and Berry is determined to prepare him for college and future independence. McKenna is a talented local college swimmer pursuing a nursing degree while facing many challenges that threaten everything she has worked toward. When she begins teaching swim lessons to autistic children at the local country club, Leo joins her as an assistant. And the two form a bond. As Berry’s and McKenna’s plans begin to unravel, their paths cross in unexpected ways, leaving both women struggling to keep their heads above water. I especially enjoyed Leo, who is wonderfully likable and fully developed rather than defined solely by his autism. The swimming world added another interesting layer, making this novel an engaging story about family, friends, unexpected connections, and finding your way when life pulls you under. ⭐⭐⭐

The Amateur

Mira Winston is a teenage golf prodigy in the late 1970s—a shining star in her affluent little town and virtually untouchable at the local country club, where she’s been playing alongside grown men since she was fourteen. As she prepares to begin her freshman year at Yale, a routine practice session turns into an unimaginable tragedy. A summer caddie, Kenny, whom she knows from school, is standing on the other side of the driving range net when one of Mira’s golf balls tears through it, striking him in the head. He dies. Told from Mira’s point of view, this novel goes places you will never see coming. It’s suspenseful, gripping, witty, and brilliantly written. This novel explores guilt, privilege, grief, and the ripple effects of a single devastating moment with incredible depth. Be prepared to be completely mesmerized.  I’ve read a ton of books by Chris Bohjalian, but this may be my favorite. You won’t be getting up from your beach chair anytime soon. Thanks to Netgalley for the sneak peek! Releases August 4th! ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Slanting Towards the Sea

Ten years ago, Ivona divorced Vlaho. She has suffered through every minute of every day since, watching his life move forward while hers has sadly remained in place. Now approaching forty, Ivona is caring for her ill father while doing everything in her power to save his failing business. As she manages the most basic demands of daily life, she reflects on her marriage, her choices and exactly how she ended up here. What could her future possibly look like when she still cannot let go of the past? Set in Croatia, this novel is a simple, quiet story filled with love, sadness, regret and the ordinary responsibilities that continue even when life feels broken. There is something incredibly beautiful about it, despite or perhaps because of all that loss. It is mind-blowing that this exquisitely written book was a debut novel. It took me a year to finally pull it from my enormous TBR, but I am so glad I did. If it has been sitting on your list too, it is absolutely worth reading this summer. Promise. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Alan Opts Out

Alan’s advertising agency is in the running for a huge account with the dairy industry. He has been living and breathing milk, the American way of life, to prepare! But when the biggest pitch of his career bombs spectacularly, this is no simple case of crying over spilled milk. Alan is devastated and begins questioning everything he has worked for his entire adult life. While wallowing in self-pity, he unexpectedly finds peace in his own backyard—inside his daughters’ abandoned childhood playhouse. The little structure has not been touched in years, but Alan decides it is the perfect place to opt out of his old life and embrace a new one. Meanwhile, his wife, Vivian, is determined to earn membership in the Queen Annes, an exclusive women’s club in their fancy Connecticut community. She will do whatever it takes to belong, something she never had growing up. Their teenage daughters are fairly certain both parents have gone completely bonkers! Laugh-out-loud funny, surprisingly thoughtful, and filled with rich-people drama and sharp social commentary. It takes on consumerism, marriage, and the exhausting business of keeping up with the Joneses. Alan’s favorite philosophy is also one I wholeheartedly agree with: less is definitely more. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (As a little throwback, in 2007 I thoroughly enjoyed the memoir How Starbucks Saved My Life by Michael Gates Gill, about an ad executive whose life falls apart and unexpectedly finds himself working on the other side of the Starbucks counter. Alan Opts Out really reminded me of that premise, but with its own very funny, modern twist)

Single Girls

It is 1965, and Helen Gurley Brown has convinced the head of a major publishing conglomerate to give her a chance. She has three issues to revive one of the company’s failing magazines. Having recently published Sex and the Single Girl, Helen knows exactly what modern women want: freedom, independence, sexual satisfaction, and control over their own futures. She hits the ground running at Cosmopolitan and never looks back. The novel introduces the talented women working alongside her, moving between their present-day ambitions, and their past. Unfortunately, this one did not quite hit the mark for me. I was hoping for a more intimate look at the iconic HGB, a woman who transformed what women read and how generations of women viewed themselves. Instead, much of the story focused on the backstories of the women around her, and I found myself less invested in those chapters.  I did not dislike the book, but I did not love it either. Readers who enjoy stories about ambitious women and the changing social landscape of the 1960s may connect with it more than I did. ⭐⭐⭐

Love You More

Billie and Dean have just gotten engaged. They seem like the perfect couple - both brilliant, successful physicians on the cusp of major careers. Their biggest contrast is their upbringing: Billie is a small-town Wisconsin girl, while Dean grew up in New York City with a golden spoon. After years of trying to move on from Mick, her high school sweetheart, Billie finally feels ready to embrace big-city life, and leave the past behind. One day she receives a phone call about her best friend, Erin—a call that turns her world and all her plans upside down. Suddenly, everything Billie has worked for is at stake as her heart pulls her back to Wisconsin. A story about friendship, love, and the ways our past continues to shape us. Emily Giffin is spot-on in her depiction of medical school and residency—a long, demanding road that many people do not fully understand. I loved this summer read. It is a quick, enjoyable beach read with plenty of heart and great characters. ⭐⭐⭐⭐

In Wonderland

Fourteen-year-old Frances is spending the summer in Maine as a mother’s helper at Wonderland, the Emerson family’s exquisite lakefront home. Forrest Emerson is a charming old friend of her father’s who grew up hard-scrabble but now lives a life of luxury with his wife, Regina, and their two children, supported by Regina’s family money. Frances's job is to look after twelve-year-old Hayward and six-year-old Jilly. At first, Frances is so intimidated by the wealthy country-club set that she can barely breathe. But within days, she creates a routine that brings her enormous happiness: writing in her journal, learning to play tennis, and reading every Stephen King novel she can find at the library. On the verge of getting her first period, Frances quietly imagines what her future might be like when she grows up—and what it might feel like to have a man like Forrest in her life. While her own parents fight and ignore her, she begins to feel as though she is finally part of a family, even if it is only temporary. What initially appears idyllic begins to unravel as secrets from the past emerge, leaving Frances unsure of whom she can trust. I loved every minute of this page-turning coming-of-age novel. Maynard perfectly captures the summer of 1986 and the intense vulnerability of a young girl standing on the cusp of adulthood.  ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐