澳洲幸运5开奖结果官网直播软件 2023澳洲幸运5开奖直播软件 澳洲幸运5开奖号码查询 If You Love Southern Beach Reads....

For me, some of the best beach reads are those that take place down South, where it's always warm, there's palm trees, crystal blue waters, and a cold ice tea. I'm sharing my updated list of Southern beach reads today, including the ones on my overflowing TBR list.

 

澳洲幸运5开奖结果官网直播+现场直播视频 Adult Fiction: 

 

 

Hemingway's Girl by Erika Robuck  (Key West, Florida)

Slightly South of Simple by Kristy Woodson Harvey (Georgia)

The Night the Lights Went Out by Karen White (Georgia)

The Weekenders by Mary Kay Andrews - (North Carolina)

The Last Original Wife by Dorothea Benton Frank (Charleston, South Carolina)

All Summer Long by Dorothea Benton Frank (Charleston, South Carolina)

Under a Dark Summer Sky by Vanessa LaFaye (Key West, Florida)

 

 

 

 

 

Cocoa Beach by Beatriz Williams (Cocoa Beach, Florida)

On Ocean Boulevard by Mary Alice Monroe (Charleston, South Carolina) 

Summer at Hideaway Key by Barbara Davis (Florida) 

The Secret to Southern Charm by Kristy Woodson Harvey (Georgia)

Southern Side of Paradise by Kristy Woodson Harvey (Georgia)

Feels Like Falling by Kristy Woodson Harvey (North Carolina)

Sunset Beach by Mary Kay Andrews (Florida)

The Last Train to Key West by Chanel Cleeton (Florida)

Hello, Summer by Mary Kay Andrews (Florida)

Under the Southern Sky by Kristy Woodson Harvey (North Carolina)

The Last List of Miss Judith Kratt by Andrea Bobotis (South Carolina)

Dreams of Falling by Karen White  (South Carolina) 

 

 

 

 

The Homewreckers by Mary Kay Andrews (Outside Savannah, Georgia) 

The Summer of Lost and Found by Mary Alice Monroe (Charleston, South Carolina)

The Newcomer by Mary Kay Andrews (Florida)

Island Affair by Priscilla Oliveras (Key West, Florida)

Flight Patterns by Karen White (Coastal Florida) 

A Lakeside Reunion by C.Chilove (Florida)

Beach House for Rent by Mary Alice Monroe (Isle of Palms, South Carolina)

 

 

 

On The TBR List:

 

 

 The Summer House by Jenny Hale (Outer Banks, North Carolina)

My Magnolia Summer by Victoria Benton Frank (Sullivan's Island, South Carolina)

The Summer of Songbirds by Kristy Woodson Harvey (North Carolina)

The Summer Girls by Mary Alice Monroe (Sullivan's Island, South Carolina) 

YA Fiction:

Along for the Ride by Sarah Dessen (Colby, North Carolina)

The Moon and More by Sarah Dessen (Colby, North Carolina)

Turtle in Paradise by Jennifer Holm (Key West, Florida)

The Summer I Turned Pretty by Jenny Han (Southern beach town)

Endless Summer by Jennifer Echols (Alabama)

Sixteenth Summer by Michelle Dalton (Georgia)

So, these are just a few of the southern beach reads I've read over the years. Did any of your favorites make my list? Do you have any recommendations for me? Let me know what you think in the comments below.

 

Book Review: The Firefly Summer by Morgan Matson

 

Pages: 400

Genre: Middle Grade Fiction

Pub Date: May 2, 2023

Publisher: Simon & Schuster for Young Readers

Source: Library

Other Books By Author: Amy & Roger's Epic Detour,

Save the Date, Second Chance Summer,   

Since You've Been Gone and The Unexpected Everything

My Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

 

澳洲幸运5开奖结果官网直播 Goodreads says, "The Penderwicks meets The Vanderbeekers of 141st Street in a story about a young girl who gets to know her mom’s side of the family and hunts for hidden treasure over the course of one chaotic summer. For as long as Ryanna Stuart can remember, her summers have been spent with her father and his new wife. Just the three of them, structured, planned, and quiet. But this summer is different. This summer, she’s received a letter from her grandparents—grandparents neither she nor her dad have spoken to since her mom’s death—inviting her to stay with them at an old summer camp in the Poconos. Ryanna accepts. She wants to learn about her mom. She wants to uncover the mystery of why her father hasn’t spoken to her grandparents all these years. She’s even looking forward to a quiet summer by the lake. But what she finds are relatives… so many relatives! Aunts and uncles and cousins upon cousins—a motley, rambunctious crew of kids and eccentric, unconventional adults. People who have memories of her mom from when she was Ryanna’s age, clues to her past like a treasure map. Ryanna even finds an actual, real-life treasure map! Over the course of one unforgettable summer—filled with s’mores and swimming, adventure and fun, and even a decades-old mystery to solve—Ryanna discovers a whole new side of herself and that, sometimes, the last place you expected to be is the place where you really belong."

Ryanna's mother died when she was just three years old, so the maternal side of her family has always been a mystery as they are estranged. But one day she gets an invitation from her maternal grandparents to come spend the summer at their house in the Poconos. Ryanna agrees as she is curious about her extended family and also she hopes to learn more about her mother. What she thought was going to be a quiet lakeside summer with her grandparents turned out to be so much more. It's not just her grandparents who are there; there are aunts, uncles, and cousins staying at what was once a bustling summer camp that her grandparents operated. Camp Van Camp, an idyllic getaway in the Poconos, is no longer in operation, but is in crisis. Nonetheless, Ryanna's days are filled with all the summer fun you would expect lakeside, hanging out with her cousins, treasure maps, her mom's old books, and more. One old treasure map might hold the key to keeping Camp Van Camp. Morgan Matson's middle-grade debut, The Firefly Summer, is an absolute delight of a summer novel.

Ryanna is the type of character you instantly feel for in The Firefly Summer. She is just getting to know her grandparents and extended family, so it's a bit awkward in the beginning, especially with how she met her cousins. Slowly, she folds into the family nicely and acclimates to summer life at the lake. I loved how she got to know her mom's side of the family and the adventures with her crew of cousins. She also tries to piece together what happened between her grandparents and her dad as that is the reason why they were estranged.

One of the main problems in The Firefly Summer is the fact that her grandfather can't find the handwritten document from his neighbor, who has since passed away, which indicates the land of Camp Van Camp goes to him. Without this document, the fate of the camp is up in the air, so clearly this is a focus for Ryanna this summer as well. It turns into a bit of an adventure involving her mom's old book, notes in the margins, and a treasure map---pure summer fun!
 
Matson captures summer life at the Poconos so well in The Firefly Summer; it made me want to plan another trip back. Readers can easily tell that Matson writes from the heart about the Poconos, because all the descriptions are completely vivid and accurate. Fans of the Poconos will love this aspect of the novel; I certainly did.
 

Fans of the Vanderbeekers series will especially enjoy this novel as it has some similarities. In sum, Matson can do no wrong. She is such a fantastic writer and I am so glad she wrote her first middle-grade novel. I hope she continues to write more; The Firefly Summer is a novel I would have loved to pick up when I was in middle school. So, are you a fan of Morgan Matson? Let me know your thoughts in the comments below.

 

Blog Tour: The Seven Year Slip by Ashley Poston

 

Pages: 352

Genre: Adult Fiction

Pub. Date: June 27, 2023

Publisher: Berkley

Source: Publisher for review

Other Books By Author: The Dead Romantics

My Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars

 

 

 

Goodreads says, "Sometimes, the worst day of your life happens, and you have to figure out how to live after it. So Clementine forms a plan to keep her heart safe: stay busy, work hard, find someone decent to love, and try to remember to chase the moon. The last one is silly and obviously metaphorical, but her aunt always told her that you needed at least one big dream to keep going. And for the last year, that plan has gone off without a hitch. Mostly. The love part is hard because she doesn’t want to get too close to anyone—she isn’t sure her heart can take it. And then she finds a strange man standing in the kitchen of her late aunt’s apartment. A man with kind eyes and a Southern drawl and a taste for lemon pies. The kind of man that, before it all, she would’ve fallen head-over-heels for. And she might again. Except, he exists in the past. Seven years ago, to be exact. And she, quite literally, lives seven years in his future. Her aunt always said the apartment was a pinch in time, a place where moments blended together like watercolors. And Clementine knows that if she lets her heart fall, she’ll be doomed. After all, love is never a matter of time—but a matter of timing."

 

 

Clementine inherits a gorgeous apartment on the Upper East Side from her kooky aunt, whom she loved to travel the world with. Clementine is dealing with some major grief after the death of her aunt, not to mention remembering all the strange stories she told about her "magical" apartment that bends time. She used to think it was all her aunt's strange stories, but when she wakes up to find aspiring chef, Iwan, in her apartment she is starting to realize her aunt was right. Iwan is living seven years in Clementine's past and she is living seven years in his future. In the same apartment! Clementine is also dealing with some bumps in the road regarding her life as well as her job, and Iwan is the greatest escape. His lemon dies, his southern accent, and his warm heart all make her gravitate toward him. The more time she spends with him, the more she starts to see things differently about her life and question what she really wants. How could they actually have a real relationship though? Her aunt warned her to never fall in love within the walls of her apartment and that is exactly what is happening. Ashley Poston's The Seven Year Slip is a delightful romance filled with magical realism.

Clementine is a wonderful character in The Seven Year Slip. She works as a book publicist for a small publisher in New York City, so that aspect of the story was interesting. She is at a crossroads at work though, not to mention dealing with the death of her beloved aunt. Then throw in Iwan, you have a lot of drama that Clementine must face. Clementine and Iwan's love story, due to the magical elements, is very unpredictable and in that case, I enjoyed that aspect of the story as I wasn't sure what would happen. How could they make this work in real life?

The threads of magic in The Seven Year Slip are perfect. Even though it seems really far-fetched, Poston made it believable for me. While it didn't pack the emotional punch of her previous novel, The Dead Romantics, I still enjoyed the ride and was rooting for Clementine. If you love a romance with a strong side of magical realism, look no further. This book will transport you and that makes it the perfect beach read for the summer.

Are you a fan of Ashley Poston? Do you plan to read The Seven Year Slip this summer? Let me know your thoughts in the comments below.

 

澳洲幸运5开奖结果官网直播 Blog Tour and Giveaway: My Soul Treasure

 

I love all the emphasis on mindfulness right now for children. I think it's so important and very helpful as children are growing up in a very different world than we grew up in. It's important to decompress and take a moment for some calm. 

With that in mind, I am excited to share with you all today a new picture book that focuses on children becoming more self-aware and taking the time in their busy world to connect with their inner selves. I've partnered with Kate Searle to celebrate the recent publication of My Soul Treasure and to host a very exciting giveaway.

 

 

Learn More About the Book:

 

My Soul Treasure

Written by Kate Searle

Illustrated by Alison Mutton

Ages 4+ | 28 Pages

Publisher: Kate’s Soul Treasure (2022) | ISBN-13: 978-0645415421 

 

Publisher’s Book Summary: My Soul Treasure is a beautifully illustrated children’s book designed to teach children how to connect with their inner selves and cultivate self-awareness and self-love. It follows the story of a young girl who goes on a journey beyond her mind, body, and heart to discover her own inner treasures. The story includes positive affirmations and visualization exercises to help children develop mindfulness and self-reflection skills.

 

You can purchase your own copy of My Soul Treasure at Bookshop, Barnes & Noble, and Amazon. You can learn more about Kate Searle by visiting her website and connecting with her on Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube.

Enter the Giveaway:

 

I've partnered with Kate Searle to host this fantastic giveaway. Enter the giveaway for a hardcover copy of My Soul Treasure signed by Kate Searle and a Kindle (2022 release). Four other winners will receive a hardcover copy of My Soul Treasure signed by Kate Searle. Good luck!  

 

 

My Soul Treasure Book Giveaway

 

澳洲幸运5开奖结果官网直播 Book Review: Hotel Laguna by Nicola Harrison

 

Pages: 288

Genre: Adult Historical Fiction

Pub. Date: June 20, 2023

Publisher: St. Martin's

Source: Publisher for review

Other Books By Author: Montauk

My Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars 

澳洲幸运5开奖结果官网直播 Goodreads says, "In 1942, Hazel Francis left Wichita, Kansas for California, determined to do her part for the war effort. At Douglas Aircraft, she became one of many “Rosie the Riveters,” helping construct bombers for the U. S. military. But now the war is over, men have returned to their factory jobs, and women like Hazel have been dismissed, expected to return home to become wives and mothers. Unwilling to be forced into a traditional woman’s role in the Midwest, Hazel remains on the west coast, and finds herself in the bohemian town of Laguna Beach. Desperate for work, she accepts a job as an assistant to famous artist Hanson Radcliff. Beloved by the locals for his contributions to the art scene and respected by the critics, Radcliff lives under the shadow of a decades old scandal that haunts him. Working hard to stay on her cantankerous employer’s good side, Hazel becomes a valued member of the community. She never expected to fall in love with the rhythms of life in Laguna, nor did she expect to find a kindred spirit in Jimmy, the hotel bartender whose friendship promises something more. But Hazel still wants to work with airplanes—maybe even learn to fly one someday. Torn between pursuing her dream and the dream life she has been granted, she is unsure if giving herself over to Laguna is what her heart truly wants."

 

Hazel Francis left her small town behind for California during WWII. She worked at Douglas Aircraft building aircraft for the military, but now that the war is over, so is her job. She is expected to return home. But what about all the women that did not want to return home to the status quo and wanted more for themselves? Well, Hazel is faced with that very problem as she doesn't want to return home, and happens upon Laguna Beach when looking for a new job. Laguna seems so promising with its artistic and boho vibe. Eventually, she does land a job as an assistant to Laguna's most successful artist, Hanson Radcliff. Hanson is mysterious and moody, but locally adored, so naturally Hazel finds him intriguing. As more time passes, Hazel becomes a member of Laguna's community, she finds a possible romance in Jimmy, a bartender, and perhaps her place in a post-WWII war. Nicola Harrison's Hotel Laguna is a solid historical read that highlights the struggles women experienced during this transitional time in America's history.

Hazel is a character you have to respect in Hotel Laguna. She stepped up to the plate during the war and built aircraft for the military and contributed to such an important cause. However, once the war was over, Hazel, like many American women, was dropped and just expected to return home to their former lives. While I am sure many women did happily, others wanted something else for themselves. Hotel Laguna highlights this struggle through Hazel's experiences post-war. I can't say I've read a book that details how difficult it was for women during the time, so this was a new concept for me and one that I appreciated wholeheartedly. I enjoyed her journey to finding something more for herself, a place in a new community, a possible love, and an unlikely friendship with her boss, Hanson. 

The real star of the show in Hotel Laguna is Laguna Beach itself. Harrison did a wonderful job bringing it to life. The art show, the artistic community, the bohemian vibe, and the beautiful landscapes were done so well; it made me want to visit one day. If you love a memorable setting in your historical beach reads, look no further.

While Hotel Laguna wasn't a stand-out historical beach read, I still enjoyed Hazel's story and how it highlighted postwar America. It was a quick read (less than 300 pages), so it would be perfect for a long weekend at the beach.

Are you a fan of Nicola Harrison? Is Hotel Laguna on your TBR list? Let me know your thoughts in the comments below.