On books for a calm summer evening

There’s a park behind my apartment with a set of perfect hammock trees. On warm (but not too warm) evenings, it’s the perfect place to enjoy nature. Or ignore nature and escape into a book.

Here are some slow, thoughtful books to compliment that calm moment.

-"The Muse” by Jessie Burton - Odelle Bastien lives in 1960’s London and has just been employed at the Skeleton Art Gallery. Odelle strives to uncover the secrets of her employer while balancing the changes in her personal life. Olive Schloss is a refugee living in 1930’s Spain. While the story bounces between these two heroines, the leader slowly learns how they connect.

-"Strands of Bronze and Gold” by Jane Nickerson - Newly-orphaned Sophie Petheram has just moved to Wyndriven Abbey and begins piecing together the past of her mysterious guardian.

-"Remembering Isaac: The Wise and Joyful Potter of Niederbipp” by Ben Behunin - Niederbipp needs a new potter. But Jake Kimball didn’t know what he was signing up for when he agreed to take the position. His predecessor, Isaac, left some big shoes to fill, but maybe with some peppermint tea and a good listening ear, Jake can adjust to his new surroundings.

-"Breakfast At Tiffany’s” by Truman Capote - Holly Golightly is anything but quiet - on the surface. Underneath, complex feelings and deep hurt and a distorted sense of wanderlust live and guide her strange decision making. This slow (and strange) book tell of the people who love her - and how she struggles to love them back.

-"The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Society” by Mary Ann Shaffer - Shortly after WWII, acclaimed author Juliet Ashton begins corresponding with the residents of Guernsey, a small island she’s never visited. Through Juliet’s letters, the reader sees how the events in Guernsey have changed the lives of all who live there, and how Juliet’s life is changed by meeting these people.

-"Trains and Lovers” by Alexander McCall Smith - Four people meet on a train ride and share their stories - often being reminded of their own heartaches by their companions.

-"Pastwatch: The Redemption of Christopher Columbus” by Orson Scott Card - Pastwatch is a futuristic company that observes the past. But after many years of study, the question arises - what if Pastwatch researchers are affecting the past much more than they realize?

March: Best and strangest

MY BEST BOOKS OF MARCH 2017

-The Woman in White by Wilkie Collins - One of the first detective novels ever written, this book was groundbreaking when it was originally released. These days, it’s considered to be a classic and one of the forerunners of the thriller/detective genre. It’s a great read and it’s easy to see why this book was such a big deal. My only complaint: The ending is a bit meh. There’s all this buildup and then…..oh. Okay. That’s it. You can read more of my thoughts here.

-Pastwatch: The Redemption of Christopher Columbus by Orson Scott Card - It’s been years since I read any Orson Scott Card and this was definitely not what I expected of him. And I mean that in the best way possible. Card is an absolutely fantastic author, but this still blew me away. It’s one of those book that I’ll be ranting about for years to come. If you like time travel or serious moral/ethical questions or history or any of the above, this story is definitely for you. Read my full Goodreads review to read me gushing some more.

MY STRANGEST BOOK OF MARCH 2017

-The Last Hot Time by John M. Ford - I should preface this by saying that I’ve never read adult contemporary fantasy before. And it was quite the experience. The Last Hot Time is a set up like a film noir - drinking, gambling, impropriety, you know the rest. That in and of itself doesn’t sound too weird, but throw in elves, gang wars, magic bullets, curses…..and it gets a bit more complicated. It continued to feel like a film noir, but with fantasy characters and issues, which made things interesting. I got the feeling the author is a weird dude because no normal person could have thought up such an interesting premise.

Am I glad I read this?: Ultimately, I guess so?! I definitely didn’t love this book. It was a bit of a chore to force myself through it. I loved the author’s idea, but his execution left something to be desired. You can read more of my thoughts on Goodreads. If nothing else, this book opened the door to contemporary fantasy for me and I’ve added Borderland to my TBR (so maybe I’ll actually read it someday) because of this book. I dunno that I like contemporary fantasy now, but the idea intrigues me and I want to test it out a bit more.

What did you read this month? Anything absolutely mind-blowingly incredible? Anything beyond bizarre?