by Karna Small Bodman

As millions have been celebrating America’s Independence and taking much anticipated vacations, I hope many of you will finally have a chance to relax and pick up a new book. 

My Rogue colleagues are among the “best read” friends I know, so I asked them to share what they have been reading and would like to recommend.  It’s quite the eclectic list including humor, history, mystery and much more. 

Rogue author K. J. Howe loved The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid, is on the USA Today bestseller list this week.   It is described as “An entrancing and wildly addictive journey of a reclusive Hollywood starlet as she reflects on her relentless rise to the top and the risks she took, the loves she lost, and the long-held secrets the public could never imagine.” A reviewer adds this line, “The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo has got all the glitz and glamour to make it a perfect beach read.”

Lisa Black recommends The Guest List by New York Times bestselling author Lucy Foley. This is a story that takes place on an island off the coast of Ireland where guests are gathered to celebrate the wedding of a handsome, charming groom and smart, ambitious bride . . . an event that turns into a great mystery.  The New York Times Book Review describes it as “Evoking the great Agatha Christie classics that build suspense slowly. Pay close attention to the seemingly throwaway details about the characters’ pasts. They are all clues.”  And from a writer at Better Homes and Gardens (!), “Easily my favorite book of the year…will keep you guessing until the very end.”

Continuing with another Irish setting, Carla Neggers is excited to tell us about The Searcher by Tana French.  This is about a former Chicago Police Officer who wants to build a new life in a pretty spot with a good pub. But he is thrust into an investigation where he starts to realize that even small towns can shelter dangerous secrets. The Washington Post says,“This hushed suspense tale about thwarted dreams of escape may be her best one yet . . . its own kind of masterpiece.” A writer for The New York Times states, “A new Tana French is always cause for celebration . . . Read it once for the plot; read it again for the beauty and subtlety of French’s writing.”

Our Chris Goff wants us to know about debut author Jonas Jonasson’s novel with this lengthy title, The 100-Year-Old Man Who Climbed Out the Window and Disappeared, a tale about an adventurous gentleman with a fondness for vodka who escapes from a nursing home and goes on an unexpected journey.  This book received a starred review in Publishers Weekly which called it “A laugh-out-loud debut where historical figures are cleverly spun into a raucous yarn.” And Library Journal writes, “This quirky novel is a sly, satirical look back at International relations in the 20^th century through the eyes of an old man who has seen it all.”

Finally, I just finished reading a delightful light- hearted novel, The Lost and Found Bookshop by international bestselling author, Susan Wiggs. With millions of copies of her books in print, Susan gives us the story of a woman who inherits an old bookshop in San Francisco and then must deal with financial set-backs, family drama, and a budding love affair, while also discovering an incredible treasure.  People Magazine says this is “A feel-good family saga…A charming tale about the silver linings of unwanted detours.”

From thrillers to mysteries, humorous stories to historical intrigue, we hope you will find the type of novel that will entertain and delight you over the summer months.

If you have a book you’d like to recommend for a summer reading list, please let us know by leaving a comment below, or on our social media pages. And thank you for visiting us here on Rogue Women Writers.