Perfect books to read while sitting in the sunshine

If it’s time to relax on your lawn chair or picnic blanket, and you want a good book to read, we’ve got you covered. Area librarians recommend the following warm-weather reads now that being outside is at a premium.
 
“The Newcomer” by Mary Kay Andrews
Genre: Thriller
After discovering her sister Tanya dead on the floor of her townhouse, Letty Carnahan knows who did it: Tanya’s sleazy ex-husband. Letty promised that if anything happened to Tanya, she would take Tanya’s daughter Maya and run away. The only problem is: where are they going to go?
 
“The Paris Apartment” by Lucy Foley
Genre: Thriller
Jess needs a fresh start and decides to visit her brother in Paris. When she arrives, she finds a very nice apartment and her brother missing. As she investigates his disappearance, she uncovers more questions than answers. All her brother’s neighbors know something, but they’re not talking.
 
“The Four Winds” by Kristin Hannah
Genre: Historical fiction
Texas, 1934. The Great Depression and the Dust Bowl are ruining farmers and Elsa Martinelli must make a choice: fight for the land she loves or head west to California in search of a better life. “The Four Winds” is a portrait of America and the American Dream, full of love, hope, courage, and sacrifice.
 
“The Book Lovers” by Emily Henry
Genre: Contemporary romance
Nora Stephens knows books — she’s a literary agent, after all — and she knows she’s not that type of heroine. Her little sister Libby begs her to come along on a month-long vacation in hopes of transforming her into the heroine she’s meant to be. But instead of meeting hunky guys, Nora keeps running into Charlie Lastra, a brooding editor who is nobody’s hero. As their relationship unfolds, they might just rewrite the stories that they’ve been telling themselves.
 
“Golden Girl” by Elin Hilderbrand
Genre: Domestic fiction
Vivian Howe, author and mother of three, is killed in a hit-and-run accident while jogging. After death, she is allowed to witness events on Earth for one final summer. She is also given three “nudges” to change the outcome of events. How will Vivian use her nudges — or should she use them at all?
 
“The Summer Getaway” by Susan Mallery
Genre: Contemporary romance
Robyn Caldell is divorced, with grown children no longer living at home, so when she receives an invitation to visit her great-aunt Lillian she eagerly accepts. There she meets Mason, one of Lillian’s nephews. They hit it off, but will past hurt and broken trust keep them apart?
 
“Arsenic and Adobo” by Mia P. Manansala
Lila Macapagal has moved back home after a horrible break-up and is trying to save the family restaurant. But when her food-critic ex-boyfriend drops dead moments after a confrontation with her, Lila is the prime suspect. Lila must track down the real killer before it’s too late.
“The Baseball 100” by Joe Posnanski
Genre: Biography
Award-winning sportswriter Joe Posnanski chronicles the history of baseball through the lives of 100 of its greatest players. His list includes iconic Hall of Famers, forgotten All-Stars and fan-favorites from years past and today. More than just records and statistics, Posnanski delves into the stories behind the players and places their achievements in the context of baseball history.
 
“Malibu Rising” by Taylor Jenkins Reid
Genre: Historical fiction
It’s August 1983 and everyone wants to attend Nina Riva’s end-of-summer party. As the guests lose themselves in the festivities, family secrets rise to the surface. By midnight the party is out of control and by morning the Riva mansion is in flames. Nina and her siblings must decide how much of their parents’ legacy to keep and how much to leave behind.
 
“The Unsinkable Greta James” by Jennifer E. Smith
Genre: Historical fiction
Greta James has musical talent — talent that was passionately supported by her mother but dismissed by her father. After her mother’s sudden death, Greta has an on-stage meltdown that goes viral. Months later, she joins her father on an Alaskan cruise with perhaps a chance to heal old wounds. Out at sea, Greta will confront the choices she’s made and how to forge a path forward.
 
“That Summer”by Jennifer Weiner
Genre: Domestic fiction
Daisy Shoemaker is a suburban housewife with a distant husband, a teenage daughter, and no real friends. One day she starts receiving emails meant for another woman whose email address is one punctuation mark different from her own. They end up becoming friends, but their meeting was not completely accidental. Who is this other woman and what does she want with Daisy?
 
“Project Hail Mary” by Andy Weir
Genre: Science fiction
Ryland Grace is on a mission to save humanity from extinction. Unfortunately, he’s just awoken from a stasis aboard a spaceship and doesn’t remember anything. As his memory returns, he realizes the impossible task set before him. “Project Hail Mary” is an interstellar adventure of discovery and survival.
 
“A Family Affair” by Robyn Carr
Genre: Thriller
An exceptional storyteller, No. 1 New York TImes bestselling author Robyn Carr beautiful captures the emotionally charged, complex dynamics that come with being part of any family. Readers will laugh and shed a few tears as they discover what it means to be loved, supported, and accepted by the people who mean the most. Carr tackles the serious issues women face with humor and heart.
 
“Angels of the Pacific” by Elise Hooper
Genre: Historical fiction
Absolutely riveting. A stay-up-all night read about two very different women who discover just how strong they can be, and just how much they’ll dare, during a brutal Japanese occupation of the Philippines during World War II. This story of endurance and sisterhood will have you turning pages late into the night.
 
“The Investigator” by John Sanford
Genre: Mystery
Letty Davenport, the brilliant and tenacious adopted daughter of Lucas Davenport, takes the investigative reins in the newest thriller from No. 1 bestselling author John Sanford. By age 24, Letty Davenport has seen more action and uncovered more secrets than many law enforcement professionals. Now a recent Stanford grad with a master’s in economics, she’s restless and bored in a desk job. She’s ready to quit but is offered a carrot: feet-on-the-ground investigative work, in conjunction with the Department of Homeland Security.
 
“High Stakes” by Danielle Steel
Genre: Fiction
New York Times bestseller, in this captivating novel from Danielle Steel, five successful women play for high stakes in their careers at a boutique literary and talent agency.
 
“Louisiana Longshot” by Jana DeLeon
Genre: Mystery
The first book in a hilarious mystery series, “Louisiana Longshot” introduces us to Fortune Redding, a CIA assassin who’s thrust into the middle of a bayou murder mystery. Armed with her considerable skills and a group of elderly ladies the locals dub the Geritol Mafia, she has no choice but to solve the murder before she’s next.
 
“Sea of Tranquility” by Emily St. John Mandel
Genre: Science Fiction
Hired to investigate the black-skied Night City, Detective Gaspery-Jaques Roberts discovers an anomaly in the North American Wilderness, where he encounters a strange group of individuals who have all glimpsed a chance to do something extraordinary that could disrupt the timeline of the universe.
 
“Atlas of the Heart: Mapping Meaningful Connection and the Language of Human Experience” by Bren? Brown
Genre: Non-Fiction
In “Atlas of the Heart,” Brown takes us on a journey through 85 of the emotions and experiences that define what it means to be human. Through her research, she lays out skills and framework for meaningful connection with others. Read this in concert with the HBO Max docuseries Bren? Brown: Atlas of the Heart, based on her findings.
All of these books are recommended by David Greenfield, library assistant at the Kasson Public Library; Sheryl Preble, library director of the West Concord Public Library; and Ingvild Herfindahl, library director of Dodge Center Public Library.