Books I'm enjoying this summer

The tragic beauty of this story by debut novelist, M.L. Stedman, will capture your heart and keep you turning the pages. I was utterly captivated by this book. It is a story of regret and longing, of isolation and intimacy. An elegant lighthouse standing high atop a windswept, rocky island serves as the haunting backdrop to this poignant and remarkable novel, A Light Between Oceans. EE Rating: 4 stars.

The Weird Sisters by Eleanor Brown is an infectious, effervescent novel about three, grown sisters who find themselves returning home after failing at adulthood. Rose is the responsible oldest sister, Bianca the glamorous middle child and Cordy, the whimsical bohemian. Despite their difficulties in relating to each other, the sisters find a way to band together in caring for their mother who is struggling with breast cancer. EE Rating: 3 stars.

I used to be a huge fan of John Le Carré. But his most recent novel, A Delicate Truth, suffers from a dense, glacially-slow plot-line and unlikable characters. That said, if you can get through the first fifty pages without throwing your hands up in frustration, it's an interesting and insightful story about the moral ambiguity of modern warfare. EE Rating: 2.5 stars.

I love a good poetry anthology and Good Poems by Garrison Keillor is bringing me quite a bit of joy this summer. Keillor is a master at observing the small, quotidian beauties of daily life and this selection of poems reflects that. I've been mulling over poems like "Welcome Morning" by Anne Sexton and "Hoeing" by John Updike; these words imbue me with gratitude and deeper awareness of life's transcendence and impermanence. EE Rating: 4 stars.

For those of us recovering from abusive pasts, this book offers a gentle path to healing. So often I find myself compulsively WORKING MY RECOVERY! when really, healing cannot be forced or manhandled. Because the work of recovery is emotionally exhausting and sometimes all-consuming, I really appreciate that this book reminds me to take "Gentleness Breaks" and rest. One of my favorite quotes from A Gentle Path: "Safety is an essential pre-requisite for healing the brain and creating successful recovery. Only when the brain feels safe can it optimally reconstruct itself. It needs to know that it is being understood and empathized with." (pg. 9) EE Rating: 4 stars.

What are YOU reading this summer? Please share!