Read any good books lately? Authors share their recent reads
Go to any resort during the summer, and you’ll almost always see a line-up of lounge chairs around a pool or with an ocean view, each chair occupied by a happy vacationer with their nose in a book. Often called “beach reads,” summer reading is usually an expectation of lighter reading, fun and frothy.
Professional writers are a different breed of reader. They love books, but being a writer can also spoil the reading experience. Our writer minds can’t seem to shut down and simply enjoy the experience. We can’t ignore the voice in our heads predicting what will happen next or how we would’ve written it differently.
So when a writer finds a book that does turn off that inner voice, it’s exciting for us. To be surprised, hooked, and carried away is a joy beyond measure.
To that end, I polled a few authors to find out what they’ve been reading that has taken them away. Wanting a variety, I asked my friend Robin Burcell for help in getting a few authors outside of my realm. And did she ever come through!
Scott Turow, bestselling author of books and movie adaptations, says he is currently reading Jeff Toobin’s book about the Mueller investigation, “True Crimes and Misdemeanors,” calling it “impeccably reported and gripping.” Turow’s current book is “The Last Trial,” and was published in May by Grand Central.
Another bestselling author, Harlan Coben, whose most recent work is “The Boy from The Woods” (Grand Central) and who whose current Netflix series is based on his book “The Stranger,” recommends “Pretty Things” by Janelle Brown, calling her “my new must-read author.”
“‘Pretty Things’ is about the lives of two women, an heiress named Vanessa, and a grifter named Nina, who collide in a grand mansion on Lake Tahoe,” he says. “Watch out for twists, turns, revelations, revenge and duplicity. ‘Pretty Things’ could be this year’s ‘Gone Girl.’”
April Henry, author of the just released thriller “The Girl in the White Van,” recommends “I’m Not Dying with You Tonight” by Kimberly Jones and Gilly Segal.
Henry says, “the book is about two teen girls, one black and one white, who are caught in a protest that turns into a riot. The chapters alternate between the two girls’ perspectives, showing their misunderstandings and commonalities. It’s eye-opening, thought-provoking and powerful.”
April is a New York Times bestselling and award-winning writer of mysteries and thrillers for teens and adults.
Lodi’s own Robin Burcell’s — an award-winning, bestselling author whose most recent novel is “Wrath of Poseidon,” co-authored with Clive Cussler (May 2020)— is “currently reading ‘Blind Vigil’ by Matt Coyles, the seventh book in the award-winning Rick Cahill series. While the book won’t be released until December 2020, I’d highly recommend his earlier books to those who enjoy hardboiled PI series.”
Another Lodi author, Kimberly Cates, says, “I’m a history nerd, and love books that make fascinating eras come alive. I want to share the journey with people who have not only survived challenges, but triumphed over evil — characters that show resilience, courage, and end with triumph of the human spirit.
“My favorite find in the past year was a trilogy by Greg Iles set in Mississippi and involving Civil Rights murders. I read them back to back and couldn’t put them down. He kept me guessing until the last minute — and authors are notoriously hard to fool! I also adored ‘Before We Were Yours’ by Lisa Wingate, a tale of the Tennessee orphans’ home that haunts me still.”
Danna Smith, a local children’s book author, says, “I’ve been reading a lot of novels in verse lately and loved ‘It Rained Warm Bread, Moishe Moskowitz’s Story of Hope’ by Gloria Moskowitz-Sweet and Hope Anita Smith, illustrated by Lea Lyon. It is a beautifully written story about a boy’s experience surviving the Holocaust. The heartbreaking and sometimes hopeful poems spoke to me and stayed with me long after I closed the book.”
Smith is multi-published, her most recent being “The Colors of Winter and the Colors of Summer” for Little Golden Books. Upcoming releases are “Wake Up, Freight Train!” from Little Simon, summer 2021, and “One Blue Gnu,” from Amicus, spring 2022.
As for me, I’ve just started “Growing the Golden State: The Adventures, Experiences, and Contributions of Two Pioneer Families,” by Lodi’s Dr. David J. Glass. According to the Amazon description, it’s “a book written from the point of view of two families who emigrated to California shortly after the region was ceded to the United States. Glass has taken a sharp look at his family’s history — and connected it seamlessly to events in 19th century California.”
Check out these authors’ websites for more detailed information.