The Nine: The True Story of a Band of Women Who Survived the Worst of Nazi Germany – An incredible book. War is hell. Survival is deep.

Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo – I do not know how I missed this when it came out. Great read. Hollywood glamour and ambition. Couldn’t put it down.

Real Americans – Incredibly well-written book that I could not put down. It is about life, family, and science. Loved it.

The Wall – This book has been translated from Germany. It is a fascinating book, and although a bit long, it stuck with me. Here is the description. While vacationing in a hunting lodge in the Austrian mountains, a middle-aged woman awakens one morning to find herself separated from the rest of the world by an invisible wall. With a cat, a dog, and a cow as her sole companions, she learns how to survive and cope with her loneliness. A great read.

The Memo – Perfect summer read.

The Color of a Lie – I wanted to like it, not even sure why I finished it. I did not enjoy the writing.

The God of the Woods – I couldn’t put it down; an excellent murder mystery for our times.

Small Things Like These – A short beautiful story that highlights the darkness of the Catholic religion. An absolute gem of a book.

Long Island Compromise – Funny, entertaining, well-written, couldn’t put it down, great summer read. Loved it

Erasure – It’s Unclear how I did not read this book when it came out in 2001. My brother raved, and it is listed on the latest top 100 list from the NYTimes. I picked it up and read it in a day. I loved the movie made about this film, American Fiction (I’ve seen it twice), but as always, the book is much better.

Swift River – Set in the 1980s, this is about inter-racial marriage, white supremacy in a sundown town, trying to find your own voice and who you are. Great read.

Four Humors – This book hit all the high notes. It is about generational trauma, finding oneself, and family secrets set in Istanbul. It’s the best book of the summer so far.