Books to Love: Summer Reads
The words summer reading may conjure a variety of thoughts for the reader. When I see them, I think of two things in particular:
The list of required reading that I received at the end of the school year that needed to be completed before the beginning of the next school year. Often these books were of a classical nature: Madame Bovary, Anne Karenina, Les Miserables. The had to be read and notes had to be taken because at the start of the new school year, there would be either a test or an essay to make certain that the books had been read and pondered.
The books that I put off throughout the school year that I desperately wanted to read but could not find to the time for because of school commitments.
As an adult whose reading list is no longer dictated by any teachers anywhere, I still find that through the fall, winter, and spring, I tend to read more of the studious books, the research books, the books that I am using to augment my knowledge of a particular subject for the purpose of a short story, novella, or novel. But, with the arrival of summer, my reading psyche shifts significantly.
Case in point: Lately I have been doing a lot of reading of journals and essays of people who traveled, explored, or lived in Southeast Asia from the mid-1800s to the mid-1900s. My focus has been largely on Singapore as I am drafting a new book. I am also reading Dutton’s Nautical Navigation to give myself a basic grasp of the progression of sea navigation, focusing particularly in the 1920s. And, because it is the 1920s, I am also reading some of the salient pieces that were written at the time, in the way of short stories by Hemingway and the like. While I cannot say that I’m not enjoying parts of this, I can say that some of this reading is certainly NOT pleasure reading.
Enter summer. True, it’s technically not summer yet. We have a few more days until it’s official arrival, but here in the South, we start our summer early. And the weather cooperates. It’s hot, dear readers. We’ve had little rain, plenty of sun, and, thankfully, rather low humidity. So, in the evenings, it’s sublime to sit out of doors and read. And, yes, I’ll take my studious reading out, but I have that summer itch that needs to be scratched. I need my pure pleasure reading.
So, today, I am sharing with you books that I have read, or re-read, during the summer. Some of these I have shared about before here on Whiskers, so I will provide links to them so you can read about them more in-depth. Others, I are new to this blog, and hopefully, to you too.
This post is rather long, so I have provided a table of contents for you with anchor links that will allow you to read the sections that appeal to you most:
Light-Hearted Reads
Summer is the perfect time to let yourself read books that aren’t studious or serious, that don’t tackle weighty matters. It’s a time when a bit of frivolity is not only acceptable, but necessary. Oddly enough, I’m not one given to reading purely lighthearted books. I tend to enjoy books that have a bit of historical drama to them, like a love story set during the Boxer Rebellion in China or the Sepoy Rebellion in India. However, there is a time and place for light reads. Summer is the time. Here are a few suggestions:
The Pink Carnation Series • Lauren Willig
Yes. I know. I’ve written about Lauren Willig’s Pink Carnation series numerous times here at Whiskers. It is, after all, one of my favorite series.
Here’s why it’s so great to put in your beach bag or pack for your holiday. It is thoroughly lighthearted. Yes, I know it takes place during the Napoleonic wars between France and England. Yes. There’s spies, bloodshed, betrayal, et al. Yes. I know. None of those things sound particularly light, but that is where you would be wrong. What makes the Pink Carnation series so delightful is Lauren Willig’s expert ability to weave serious threads throughout a diaphanous tapestry of romance, humor, and just the right pearls of sophistication. The resulting piece is a beautiful fabric worthy of the finest afternoon tea gown.
All twelves of her books take place during the Regency period. Not all of them are in England, either. If you’re looking for a tase of the exotic, there’s The Betrayal of the Blood Lily which takes place in India or The Orchid Affair which is set in France.
The added bonus for me where Willig is concerned is her quick wit and superb language. These books do no slouch and are proof that while you may want to read lighthearted literature, it is not necessary to read poor writing.
These books always leave me smiling, sometimes laughing aloud. They contain a merriment that jumps off the page and stays with the reader. And, though this has nothing to do with anything, the books covers are delicious, like the finest decorated petit fours, all icing and floral designs.
My particular favorites are The Masque of the Black Tulip, The Temptation of the Night Jasmine, and The Orchid Affair. Although, I do really love them all.
A Weekend with Mr. Darcy • Victoria Connelly
I believe the title of Victoria Connelly’s novel here pretty much says it all. A weekend, a short respite, with a fictional character who has stolen the hearts of so many women from the moment he was trotted out on the page: Mr. Darcy.
Set in Hampshire, A Weekend with Mr. Darcy follows two passionate Austenites, Katherine, a professor of literature at Oxford with a penchant for reading all the steamy, Regency romances spawned by other’s love of Austen, and her equally obsessed best friend, Robin Love. Katherine’s been corresponding with one of her favorite Regency romance authors, Lorna Warwick, and hopes to meet her at the Jane Austen Conference. Robyn Love has been plodding through life with work and a boyfriend, Jace, who leaves her feeling flat more often than not. The spice she adds to her life is from the beloved pages of Austen’s novels. Everything else seems to fall flat. So when Katherine invites her to Dame Pamela Harcourt’s, renowned actress who has played her fair share of Austen characters, for the Jane Austen Conference, she jumps at the chance to immerse herself in all things Austen and shake off the humdrum life she’s been leading.
Then there’s Warwick Lawton. He’s attending with a specific purpose. He wants to meet someone. You see, Warwick has a rather large secret he’s holding and he believes he will find the woman he can share that secret with at the conference.
Three days. All things Austen all the time. Three people eager for change in their lives and hoping that their beloved Jane can work her magic from beyond the grave.
Connelly’s writing is very good. Her literary allusions are abundant and spot on. She’s not kidding when she says everything Austen. I found it rather humorous how often she slipped literary references to Austen’s novels throughout the whole book. For some it might be too much; for me, it was a lot of fun.
The plot is somewhat predictable. Honestly, I didn’t mind that one iota. In fact, there was a bit of comfort to be derived when I thought the story should go one way and then it did. Predictable is not always the set down you think. Sometimes, especially when you’re looking for light and frothy reading, predictable is just what the doctor ordered.
Imogen • Jilly Cooper
I wanted to read a novel by Jilly Cooper every since Deanna Raybourn shared a stack of books she reads to satisfy that literary sweet tooth. However, I haven’t been able to find her work. But thanks to the Libby app from the Tennessee R.E.A.D.S., I found Imogen.
Written in the late ‘70s, the book is definitely dated, but I kind of like that sort of thing. It gives me a good slice of the times in which it was written. Plus, romance is immeasurably more enjoyable before the advent of cellphones and other invasive technology.
Imogen is a librarian in Yorkshire. She’s read an awful lot, and knows an awful lot. But where experience is, she lacks. Until tennis extraordinaire, Nicky, comes to play at a championship. For whatever reason, he takes a shine to Imogen and insists that she travel with him to the French Riviera.
Imogen’s father, a minister, is not so enthused by the celebrity spotlight shown on his daughter, particularly as Nicky lacks in the appropriate character that he would want his daughter to date. But Imogen is a young woman, and while he might have his objections, he decides that he can’t hold her down without incurring resentment and future rebellion from her. He lets her go, after reminding her of the way she has been brought up and the worth that she possesses. He’s a good dad.
Nicky’s world is completely over the top for Imogen. In short order, she meets a bevy of sophisticates- fashion models, athletes, millionaires, and one particularly intriguing writer. Over all, with Nicky running hot and cold, Imogen feels over her head. Her clothes are anything but posh and her manners are more nunnery than a la mode.
Imogen may be a fish out of water with the company she keeps. The models, Yvonne and Cable, are pretty catty, wearing their insecurities on their sleeves for all to see. They are highly selective with what they eat, to maintain their figure, and they are both obsessed with drawing attention to themselves. Yvonne is there with her husband, James, who she treats terribly. Cable is with her live in boyfriend, Matt, who is an accomplished journalist.
Of course, being a librarian and heralding from the, for lack of a better word, hermitage of the parsonage in Yorkshire, Imogen is a figure of interest.
Imogen is pretty much a story of discovery, a coming-of-age, or better yet, a coming into oneself. While Imogen is entirely innocent and virginal, thrown into the deep end of sophisticated culture, she is not a light weight. She is intelligent, well-read, and intuitive. Sure, she may lack the physical confidence displayed by Yvonne and Cable, who are specimens of the female figure. But Imogen possesses a confidence within herself about what she thinks and believes regarding the weighty matters of life. She can hold an intelligent and relevant conversation on the matters of the day.
A sticky, sweet confectionary to be sure, but Imogen will leave you satisfied in her personal growth as a woman as well as the new found love she encounters. On the whole, it’s a delightful read. If you’re looking for light-hearted, Imogen will not disappoint.
The Princesses of Westfalin Series • Jessica Day George
If you’re wanting something a wee bit more youthful or fairy tale oriented, then I must recommend Jessica Day George’s The Princesses of Westfalin series. Princess of the Midnight Ball is the imaginative retelling of the Grimms Brother’s The Twelve Dancing Princesses. Princess of Glass continues the series with a truly well done retelling of the oft-retold Cinderella tale. I liked this one so much that I actually wrote a review of Goodreads, which I don’t often take the time to do. You can read it here. The final book in the series is Princess of the Silver Wood and it not only retells the tale of Red Riding Hood but interweaves it with that of Robin Hood. This book was excellent. Excellent. As I wrote about in Books to Love: Transport Me Historically, I love the tale of Robin Hood. In that post I wrote about Lady of the Forest by Jennifer Roberson, which is a great retelling of the Robin Hood tale. But, Lady of the Forest and it’s sequel Lady of Sherwood, are both adult in nature, with mature themes and situations. Jessica Day George is the perfect book to read along with your kids. I did this one summer with one of my dear friend’s daughters, Melissa. Melissa has always possessed a love for the sweet and feminine; her favorite color is pale pink and her favorite dresses always have a feminine delicacy to them. It was Melissa who discovered the Princesses of Westfalin series and I am grateful that we spent that summer, even though we were 1,000 miles apart, reading and writing letters to one another about how much we like the books.
Gothic Reads
Summer is simply not summer for me without at least one Victoria Holt novel. The woman is one of the supreme queens of Gothic Romance. While not on par with Daphne deMaurier (who frankly is), she is fabulous fun. Because of Victoria Holt, I have discovered and read a great many authors who have become beloved friends.
Secret for a Nightingale • Victoria Holt
I’ve read every book Eleanor Hubbard wrote under the pseudonym Victoria Holt. They’re like candy for me. However, there are a few that stand out because they break the mold. If you read Holt back to back, you’ll notice that her plots are somewhat formulaic. Secret of a Nightingale goes against the established grain of most Holt novels.
Case in point: most Holt novels establish the female heroine with a childhood backstory that leads up to the present and then it launches into the romance before developing the suspense and mystery.
In Secret for a Nightingale, the story begins with Susanna Pleydell who was born in India, meets the dashing Aubrey St. Clare, falls head over heels for the chap, marries him, has a blissful honeymoon in Venice, and then returns to his home in London where slowly she begins to learn the darker nature of his personality. A darker nature established in opium, orgies, and occult. Remarkably, as this could be it’s own novel, this is only the first quarter of the book. Tragedy strikes leaving deep and lasting scars for Susanna. After her husband’s early death, as his lifestyle choice invited such an quick demise, Susanna is adrift. This is where the story picks up for me. She volunteers her skills of carrying for the sick with Florence Nightingale. With attention to historical detail, we are taken into the training that she receives and then we go on the journey to the Crimea where Nightingale’s ministry was paramount in carrying for wounded soldiers during that conflict. It is in the Middle East where the romance of the story begins to unfold in an unlikely manner.
Quite frankly, this novel is a great go to for when I want a little of everything. The exotic, the nefarious, the mystery, the history, and the romance. It’s got it all in spades. Unfortunately, this book is no longer in print, so you’ll have to find it at a local library or in an used bookshop. The link above will take you Amazon where you can find numerous used book stores from which to purchase a copy. Or you can check out Thriftbooks or PangoBooks, which are two of my personal favorite places to look first online; they also have their own apps.
The Silk Vendetta • Victoria Holt
More in the traditional Holt vein, The Silk Vendetta is an epic sort of read. There is just so much that is crammed into the 400+ pages. The heroine is Lenore Cleremont, a girl born on the wrong side of the blanket. Her mother died; her father disappeared in France and won’t acknowledge her. But her formidable grandmother has taken her under wing and trained her to be one of the best silk seamstresses in the Sallenger’s Silk House. As she grows, she falls in love with one of the Sallonger sons, Philip. When she comes of age, they marry and all is well, but alas, he dies shortly after their wedding. There is mystery surrounding it all, and Lenore finds refuge in her work. But she doesn’t want to remain in England or in the Sallonger home. So she travels to France where she throws herself into building a fashion house. And she succeeds. Of course, there is a complex mystery plot that holds the reader in suspense. And then there’s the romance, which is also complex.
What I enjoy the most about The Silk Vendetta is the growth and strength of Lenore. She is thrown for a loop many times, facing adversity and tragedy more often than she should. Yet, while there is grief and anger, she does not allow them to hold her intractably. Rather, she soldiers on and builds a life for herself and her family on her own ingenuity and talent. This is a thing which I admire and made the read all the more enjoyable.
Satan’s Coast • Elsie Lee
One of the things you can be assured of when it comes to Gothic novels written in the 1960s and ‘70s is that they will have horrible titles. In fact, they may even be campy or melodramatic. That, dear reader, is what makes then so entirely delightful to read.
Satan’s Coast is the first book I’ve ever read by Elsie Lee and it will not be the last. In fact, since her novels are out of print, I am eagerly awaiting several I purchased online at various used book websites (Thriftbooks and PangoBooks are my personal favorite places). The story was predictable. I pretty much knew how it would unfold within the first few chapters. And I still loved reading it. Set in Portugal in a rambling, ramshackle castle that pays homage to every period of architecture with the various additions to the structure, how could you not help but love it. That alone did it for me. I loved that horrible castle and all the Gothic, frightful atmosphere that went with it. I may have actually loved it more than any of the characters. But, they were good too. A product of the time in which they lived, which made the book all the more fun. It was a slice of its period and that authenticity was great. The story is simple, but perfectly suited for an afternoon read on the beach or in a hammock.
Again, this books is out of print. The link will take you Amazon if you want to get a copy. Thankfully, many libraries still carry Holt’s books because she was so massively popular.
The Long Masquerade • Madeleine Brent
I have been heard to remark that it is interesting to me that some of the best Gothic pieces I’ve read have actually been written by men under female nom de plumes. Yes, I am aware of how not feminist this is, but since I am secure in my empowered womanhood, I have no problem repeating it. Madeleine Brent is the nom de plume for Peter O’Donnell who wrote a fantastic ‘60s spy series. His departure into Gothic was ensured success because he wrote under a woman’s name.
I’ve written about Moonraker’s Bride, Tregaron’s Daughter, and A Heritage of Shadows in previous posts here at Whiskers. The Lord Masquerade follows in the adventure packed plot lines for which she is known. Following the life of Emma Delaney, an orphan who grew up in the care of her aunt and uncle in Jamaica, we are taken on a roller coaster ride from an ill-fated marriage to a local plantation owner with misogynistic tendencies and licentious tastes to a narrow escape with a faithful servant to years living under a pseudonym to a climax that takes her back to all the horrors she had worked her whole life to escape. Perhaps a trip to the Caribbean is too expensive in these hype-inflation times; never fear, Madeleine Brent has you covered with a trip to Jamaica and then a cruise throughout the turquoise waters of the Caribbean and finally ending in the cool gardens of England. Emma Delaney’s Long Masquerade is fraught with all the things that make a Gothic so, so good. It has, as I mentioned, adventure, romance, friendship, and self-discovery.
A Spear of Summer Grass • Deanna Raybourn
A Spear of Summer Grass is, perhaps, my favorite novel by Deanna Raybourn. As she is one of my favorite authors, and written about a great deal here at Whiskers, that’s saying quite a lot. Every aspect of the book appeals to me. Since my father spent much time in Africa, particularly Kenya, it harkens back to the many times he spoke of the places and people he loved there. Raybourn captures Africa and her people superbly. Then there’s Rider. He’s a well-fleshed out hero, a little of Captain Blood, a little Sydney Carton, and a whole lot of himself. He checks all the boxes for my kind of hero, particularly the fact that he’s a man who sits back and waits to form his opinions. He never rushes to judgement. And he is self-confident, not arrogant. I’m over all the arrogant heroes; self-confidence is much more alluring.
Finally, there’s Delilah Drummond. In typical and beloved Raybourn fashion, she is forthright, forward thinking, and a touch of the outlier. Delilah lives outside of the box. In fact, if she sees the box, she hightails it in the opposite direction. She’s a tour de force. And I love her. From her posh evening wear to her silk camp shirts and tight fitting trousers.
But most of all, I love the spirit of Africa that is so exquisitely captured in the pages of this book. Actually, as I write this, I think I’m going to have to bite the bullet and read it again. I wrote about A Spear of Summer Grass extensively in two separate posts when I was offering it as a book giveaway several years back: Books to Love: A Spear of Summer Grass and Lines to Love: A Spear of Summer Grass Edition.
Secrets of the Lighthouse • Sante Montefiore
Gothic reads are not limited to time periods. In Secrets of the Lighthouse, Sante Montefiore crafts a modern day heroine who gets enmeshed in a modern day mystery. You see, even with all that blasted technology, mysteries do still exist and tall tales make the rounds.
Secrets of the Lighthouse introduces us to Ellen Trawton, a modern woman in London who has a career, a fiancé head over heels for her, and an overbearing mother who she feels is pushing her into a future she’s not sure she wants. So Ellen does what every independent minded woman does; she runs away to her reclusive aunt’s house in Ireland. Every woman should have one relative for such a purpose, don’t you think?
Ellen shows up in Ireland with a vague story to placate her aunt, who remains suspicious but asks no questions. The only stipulation made is that Emma steer clear of Connor MacAusland, the reclusive widow who lives on the property bordering Aunt Peg’s and who is rumored to have done his wife, Caitlin, in several years back.
This is where I enjoyed the story the most. Interspersed between Ellen and Connor’s story is the ghostly apparition of Caitlin. She haunts the manor house, which has been shut up since her death. In pieces, we get glimpses into her story. It’s not a good one. Selfish, narcissistic, grasping, her apparition resembles the beginnings of a poltergeist.
Secrets of the Lighthouse checks every box of a Gothic. In fact, there are definite shades of Rebecca in it, what with Connor MacAusland resembling Maximillian De Winter, to say nothing of the haunting atmosphere. My only complaint, which is more an opinion, is that the conclusion lacked the thrill I would have personally liked. It is a good conclusion, I just would have gone darker with it. It’s the duMaurier lover in me.
Adventure Reads
And since I’ve touched on adventure more than once in the last two books, I have to include a couple mentions of books that are fantastic summer reads because they are like reading a blockbuster action movie.
A Most Extraordinary Pursuit • Juliana Gray
Throughout the course of this novel, Lord Silverton exhorts the heroine, Emmeline Truelove, to 'expect the unexpected.' While this piece of advice is sagacious, I must say, given the progression of this novel, that even if I had prepared myself to expect the unexpected (as Lord Silverton's foreshadowing helped me to do), what occurred was so entirely unexpected that there could be no way in which to plausible equip myself for it. In fact, the conclusion of this novel was almost surreal or supernatural.
Needless to say, I thoroughly enjoyed this novel. One of my particular favorite bits was the preface to every chapter from the journal of Haywood in which he recounts the tale of Theseus. Gray's writing is so evocative and poignant there, I found myself quite moved by the unfolding of the myth.
Humor abounds in this book. For that, I offer my deepest thanks to the author. I dearly love to laugh.
Emmeline Truelove is a character of integrity, fully fleshed out and relatable, with an element of whimsy about her that allows her to converse with spirits of the deceased. I applaud how Gray handled Truelove's moral fortitude, having her sensibilities and beliefs clearly enumerated and logical for the reader to understand. While Truelove adheres to the morals we are accustomed to seeing from Victorian England, she is not judgmental or condescending. Furthermore, Gray does not make Truelove's beliefs a figure of fun, a thing I have seen other author's do. Instead, she allows the reader into Truelove's thoughts and experiences to see how a woman such as she could have formed her opinions.
Lord Silverton is spot on. A bit of frippery and fun, who, when the rubber meets the road, is all business and canny acumen, to say nothing of his physical capabilities in a fight, to say nothing of his other physical capabilities of which are hinted at with delightful regularity. I really enjoyed his character.
I also applaud Gray for the slow progression of the relationship between the Duke of Olympia, Lord Silverton, and Emmeline Truelove. It should be fun see their relational dynamic unfold in the future.
I have written at length about the sequel A Strange Scottish Shore in Books to Love: Once in the Highlands.
The Dirk Pitt Series • Clive Cussler
Being that I married a maritime engineer who spends half his time at sea aboard any number of sea going vessels, I have developed a fondness for Clive Cussler and his maritime adventures. I will be honest is saying that Dirk Pitt does get on my nerves from time to time, but I do adore Al Giordino. He’s fantastic. And Dirk is never too far from Al.
What I like the most about Cussler’s books is his precise detail when it comes to any mechanical description. This can wear on me sometimes as I am not a maritime engineer or a sailor of any sort, so the descriptions can go over my head. However, because he insists on that sort of precision, the descriptions of the archeological aspects of his novels is riveting. You see, in any of the novels I’ve read by him, the stories always revolve around some ancient mystery. In Inca Gold, it’s about a fleet of ships that carried a cache of gold and hid it in the Andes Mountains before the fleet and all who sailed her disappeared into the mystery of history. In Valhalla Rising, you have an interwoven story that is almost more fiction than fact, but so well conceived you follow the wild wave from the Viking age into the pages of Jules Verne. In Trojan Odyssey, we are invited into an oft talked about mystery in the location of Troy and who really fought the Trojan War that Homer immortalized in epic poetry. It’s these aspects of Cussler’s stories that make the midnight reads we can’t put down. The characters are almost secondary, though they have a life of their own, too.
Pacific Vortex is the first in the Dirk Pitt series, but it is my least favorite, mostly because of one specific scene that sees the mythic acclaim handsome Pitt scaling walls in the dead of night very much in the nude. I just couldn’t visualize it without laughing, which severely detracted from the suspense of the moment, and, unfortunately, is one of the most prominent things I recall of the book. But, Al does come to the rescue in the end. But, I would recommend one of Dirk’s other books instead, the ones I mentioned above, or Sahara, Atlantis Found, or Raising the Titanic.
The Amelia Peabody Series • Elizabeth Peters
If you’re a lover of all things Egyptological, then Amelia Peabody is an absolute must. Set in the Victorian era, Amelia Peabody is an intrepid, independent, self-confident woman who travels to Cairo to explore the ruins of an ancient civilization. Being from the Victorian age, she must contend with all the strictures put on her because of her sex, but she doesn't let that stop her. In fact, you can almost hear Elizabeth Bennet’s words echo My courage always rises with each attempt to intimidate me. Certainly, there is a mystery afoot, one involving what appears to be almost supernatural, which is quite a frightful prospect when it concerns mummies. One almost envisions Brendan Fraser and Rachel Weisz. However, what makes this series fantastic fun is Amelia and, later, Emmerson, the Egyptologist she teams up with. These two breath witty, rollick life into the pages which are already chock full of adventure and mystery. All against the backdrop of Egypt in the heyday of archeological discovery. It will not disappoint.
And, if you love Egypt and want more reads about her, then check out my post Books to Love: Down the Nile to Ancient Egypt.
Now, I am certain that I’ve neglected a book or series somewhere, but I must conclude this post at some point. Now is that point, dear readers. I hope I have given you some suggestions that provide you with a good summer read. Please, take some time to explore the links below for more summer related fun- whether book reading, movie watching, or music listening. And, above all, I hope this post ushers in a great deal of summer fun for you all.
And, if there’s a book or series that you’ve read that you think we would like here at Whiskers, please, take a moment and leave a comment below. I know I always appreciate expanding my TBR pile.
