Chapter 25 - The Summer Book

I saw a graphic recently produced by Mental Floss. It mapped each state's top-searched summer book genre. It was no surprise to me that fiction topped the list of books searched. (https://www.mentalfloss.com/geography/maps/top-searched-summer-book-genres-by-state-map).

After all, summer reads are about mystery, thrillers, romance, and maybe even catching up on literary reads you somehow missed before.

In doing a little investigation into new books to put on my own TBR list (or should I really say in my own TBR room) I noticed that I gravitate toward mysteries or thrillers this time of year. They are generally fast reads and for me reading dark subjects in the bright sunshine is always better. Here are some books which have found my way to the must read list this summer.

A Twist of Fate by Se-Ah Jang - This is a novel out of South Korea and will be released on July 29. Jai-Young has left her job, apartment and abusive boyfriend, who is dead on the kitchen floor. She heads toward Seoul to become invisible. On the train she meets a young woman with an infant and her story is similar to Jai-Young's. Jai-Young leaves for a minute and when she comes back the woman is gone and has left a note for Jai-Young to take the baby to his father's family. What better way to become invisible than to take on someone else's life? Of course, there are downsides to this plan.

Angel Down by Daniel Kraus - It is World War I and some very sketchy soldiers have been asked by their commanding officer to go into No Man's Land and euthanize a fallen soldier. It turns out that the wounded man is not a soldier but an angel who has been struck down by artillery fire. If the men can work together, the angel might be able to bring about peace. As greed, jealousy, and dishonesty battle against compassion and love which will win - virtue or vice?

Fine Young People by Anna Bruno - Frankie, a good student at an elite Catholic prep school in Pittsburgh, has been accepted to her dream college but is unsure of her future. When a fellow student takes his life leaving a message about another student who also committed suicide in the past, Frankie and her best friend decide to investigate. What they find out is more than they have bargained for.

Inner Space by Jakub Szamalek - I do love a good sci-fi and this sounds like a winner to me. An ammonia leak threatens the lives of the astronauts on the space station. Russian and American astronauts are at risk. Was this an act of sabotage or terrorism? With Russia invading Ukraine and NASA's first female space station commander leading the investigation, nobody knows who to trust. As the levels of ammonia and tensions continue to rise, can the astronauts work together to discover the truth and how to save them all.

The World's Greatest Detective and Her Just OK Assistant by Liza Tully - Olivia Blunt is hired as the new assistant to the well known investigator Aubrey Merritt. Merritt is a difficult boss, always expecting the perfect. When a prestigious client appears looking for some answers to her mother's sudden death from a balcony, Olivia finally gets to take part in an investigation. Both Blunt and Merritt find out that the client's family has more secrets, lies, and ambitions that anyone can deal with. Is this maybe not the right career for Olivia?

Do any of these sound like a good read to you? Let me know!