Great summer reads

Books for lazy, hazy days

By
Her

Monday, June 15, 2009

Nothing says summer like a porch, a cool glass of lemonade, a good book and a lazy afternoon.

This summer, set aside some time to read. Whether you select a tear-jerker, a romance, a mystery or a memoir, you're sure to enjoy being transported to another world for a while.

Here are some "great summer reads," suggested by members of the Her ... magazine readers' panel. You'll find them at local bookstores and online book Web sites.

— Jane Hudson

“Heartbreak Café” by Penelope J. Stokes (Berkley/Penguin, August 2009)

I love novels about the South, so I chose "Heartbreak Café" by an author who resides in Asheville. It's a fun, easy book to read. The story surrounds a statement made by Dell Haley's mom to her on her wedding day to Chase about cookin' and lovin.' Dell is a great cook, so she handles the cookin' part well. It's not until after Chase dies suddenly that she discovers who's taking care of the lovin' part with him.

Stokes has a real knack for developing strong friendships in her writing and has a way of bringing the characters to life. The book has a great story with a great ending. An added bonus to this book is that Stokes has included "Dell's favorite" recipes in the back of the book. She goes a little overboard at times with her Southern descriptions and expressions, and I think she could have chosen better names for some of the characters. Overall, however, I would recommend this book for your reading list.

— Jeri Jackson, 64, Greenville

“13 is the New 18” by Beth Harpaz (Random House, 2009)

All I have to say about this book is that I wish I had written it first! No, really, my parallel to Beth Harpaz's experience with her son's transition from 12 to 13 happened in my home, but with females from ages 11 to 12.

If you want a summer read that has everything from sex and foul language to suspense and espionage, "13 is the New 18" is the book for you! Truth is stranger, funnier and much more intriguing than fiction when it comes to the antics of a teen and the chaos that ensues in a home that has been relatively peaceful for 13 years.

The author captures the essence of life in the presence, or should I say absence, of her eldest son in his quest for freedom: Freedom from family time; freedom to hang with friends; freedom to ride the New York transit alone; freedom to exclude his parents from most aspects of his life. Being the parent of an adolescent these days takes creative genius just to stay one step ahead, and "13 is the New 18" will help you do just that!

— Kimberlee Raper, 51, Grimesland

“Tryin’ to Sleep in the Bed You Made” by Virginia DeBerry and Donna Grant (St. Martin’s Press, 1997)

This is a great read for women who seek romance, comedy and drama all in the same book! It's about two best friends who embark on their journey to success. Along the way one of them loses their father while eloping with a man she has only known for two months, while the other finds out a secret about her abusive aunt.

— Kyndall B. Peele, 21, Greenville

“The Memory Collector” by Meg Gardiner (Dutton, 2009)

If you like mysteries, this is a good read. Based on nanotechnology (little tiny computer chips) and psychology, it races over two continents at breakneck speed. The main character, Jo Beckett, is a police psychologist trying to put her life back together after the death of her husband. It is not as polished as mysteries by Janet Evanovich or Sue Grafton, and at times I had trouble keeping up with all the characters, but it has an exciting ending. Not bad for a second novel.

— Lauri Johnson, 52, Greenville

“Handle with Care” by Jodi Picoult (Atria, 2009)