Summer 2021 officially begins on June 20.
Many of my friends and associates have already planned their vacation getaways to the sandy beaches or the lofty mountains.
After more than a year of fighting the COVID-19 pandemic and its myriad of personal and public challenges, we are all ready to feel the sun on our faces, a breeze in our hair, and be mesmerized by scenic views that bring visual and emotional pleasure.
Along with contemplating the possibilities of finding new and different outlets for our restless souls, many of us are furiously making note of all the new books that soon will find their way to the local library or the sellers' shelves. For every person's particular taste or interest, there are hundreds of volumes to consider.
What in the world would most of us have done over the past 15 months or so without the company of a novel or a nonfiction work to keep our minds on track?
In answer to the oft-asked question, "What have you read lately?", here are a few selections or suggestions that might be worth a try for those who like some of the same authors I have come to admire over time.
Mystery fans -- and I am a big one -- should give a go to any offering -- past or present -- by David Baldacci, James Lee Burke, Daniel Silva, Louise Penny, or John Grisham. Grisham's latest, "Sooley," is quite good, even though it is certainly quite a departure from his usual legal themes. Jacqueline Winspear recently brought us "Consequences of Fear," another in her popular series featuring Maisie Dobbs, an investigator and psychologist who braves the dangers of war-torn Britain to help those in need. Winspear, who is from the United Kingdom, now lives in California. Hopefully, she and Maisie Dobbs will continue to collaborate on more exciting new adventures.
Speaking of the United Kingdom, curious persons who are always seeking something new and different, will be quite taken with English author Catherine Steadman's first two bestsellers, "Something in the Water" and "Mr. Nobody." I can only describe these psychological thrillers as eerily fascinating. At times, one has to put the books aside, inhale deeply, and then continue on to the end.
Steadman, who is also an actress and lives in London, is sure to gain an even larger audience with her latest creation, "The Disappearing Act." I have yet to delve into this one, but another Steadman aficionado tells me it is riveting.
Personally speaking, I cannot wait to turn the pages on Linda Castillo's "Fallen," her soon-to-be-released novel featuring Police Chief Kate Burkholder, who often risks her own life to solve crimes in the Amish community of Painter's Mill, Ohio. And then there is Kathy Reichs' upcoming Temperance Brennan novel, "Bone Code." For those who do not know, Reichs is one of only 100 forensic anthropologists ever certified by the American Board of Anthropology and her lead character was the mainstay of the Fox Network crime procedural, "Bones."
Never fear. I am not totally engrossed with murder and mayhem. My favorites' literary list always includes anything by Elin Hilderbrand, Mary Alice Monroe, Patti Callahan Henry, Mary Kay Andrews, and Kristin Hannah.
Whatever you do or wherever you go this summer, have a good book at hand.
And always share them with others.