Summer Reads to Dip Your Toes Into

For the reader needing a compelling mystery:

For the reader wanting a friendship novel:

Beginning with Cannonballs: A Novel. "The novel is a testament to the importance of connection and empathy, and feels both timely and timeless in today's fraught social climates." - Necessary Fiction

For the reader wanting a gripping memoir:

13 Billion to One: A Memoir. Randy Rush won $50 million, tax-free, in the Canadian lottery in 2015 but was soon betrayed by a friend in whose company he’d invested. Shattered, Randy sued and won his civil court case—and then launched a media company to fight white-collar crime and social justice.  Kirkus Reviews called 13 Billion to One "A thrilling remembrance..."

For the reader wanting a cross-cultural experience:

Swimming Between Worlds. Elaine Neil Orr writes of three young people whose lives intertwine in Winston-Salem, North Carolina in 1959, just prior to the Civil Rights Movement protests. “Conceived with compassion and rendered with grace, it scores a triumph for its author and a blessing for her readers.”—Richmond Times Dispatch

For the reader wanting a family saga:

Fractures by Lamar Herrin. One question divides a family: will they allow natural gas drilling on their land above the Marcellus shale deposit? Herrin’s novel focuses on the only terrain that matters in the end, that of our hearts. The book comes with amazing blurbs from Ron Hansen (“...Here's one of my favorite writers at his finest.") to Bobbie Ann Mason ("brilliant"), and more.

For the reader wanting a strong heroine:

Answer Creek: A Novel. Ashley E. Sweeney’s novel of the Donner Party delivers a compassionate portrayal of families pushed to the edge of their humanity and of a determined young woman carving her own path toward love and independence. “A vivid westward migration tale with an arresting mixture of history and fiction."—Kirkus Reviews

For the reader wanting immersive historical fiction:

One Good Mama Bone. Winner of the 2017 Willie Morris Award for Southern Fiction. Bren McClain’s debut novel, set in 1950’s rural South Carolina, chronicles Sarah Creamer’s unexpected and powerful path to motherhood.