I’ve read so many wonderful books this year, and it’s only July (though I’d happily jump straight to October’s cooler temps). I like to read a mix of fiction and nonfiction in a variety of genres, and always have one audiobook going at the same time as an eBook, so I feel like I can read twice as much. Reading’s not a competition, of course, but there are just so many I want to figuratively sink my teeth into. Here are some of the best fiction books I’ve read recently:
“The Spite House” by Johnny Compton. Haunted by a shadowy past, desperate father Eric Ross seeks refuge and fortune in the infamous Masson House. Rumored to be cursed, the isolated Texas dwelling holds more than financial promise. As he delves into its sinister secrets, Ross grapples with his family’s fraught history and the terrifying lengths he’ll go to protect his daughters. Johnny Compton’s debut thriller is a Southern Gothic exploration of grief, obsession and horror. The audiobook, narrated by Adam Lazarre White, was fantastic.
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“What Never Happened” by Rachel Howzell Hall. Escaping a toxic ex, Coco Weber returns to her Catalina Island home where, 20 years before, she was the sole survivor of a deadly home invasion. Coco dives back into her obituary-writing craft, thanks to a job offer from a lifelong friend. But paradise proves deceptive. As the island’s elderly residents mysteriously succumb to untimely deaths, Coco uncovers chilling patterns, then a sinister threat: her own obituary. Haunted by the past, she races to connect the island’s deadly secrets to her family’s tragedy before becoming the killer’s next victim.
“Night Will Find You” by Julia Heaberlin. I stayed up way too late reading this one. When astrophysicist Vivvy Bouchet returns home to Texas after her mother’s death, she’s drawn into a decade-old cold case. Her childhood friend, now a cop, believes Vivvy’s inherited psychic abilities could solve the mystery of a missing girl. As Vivian delves deeper, she becomes a target for conspiracy theorists and must confront the chilling truth before it’s too late.
“Desperation Reef” by T. Jefferson Parker. I’m fascinated by giant waves, so this was a treat. Twenty-five years after her husband perished in the legendary big-wave contest Mavericks, Jen Stonebreaker is ready to enter the contest along with her twin sons, Casey and Brock. But the twins face more than dangerous waves. Socially conscious Casey finds himself pitted against shark fin poachers, while Brock, charismatic leader of a disaster relief organization, faces threats from opponents. With a monstrous winter swell approaching, Jen fights to keep her family safe from both the ocean’s power and human threats.
“Only the Beautiful” by Susan Meissner. In 1938 California, 16-year-old Rosanne, orphaned and pregnant, is cast out by her caregivers, Celine and Truman Calvert. Rosanne’s secret—a unique sensory ability—complicates her already shattered world. Instead of being sent to a home for unwed mothers, she’s sent to a home for the “unwanted” — those with mental or physical disabilities. Years later, Helen Calvert returns to her brother Truman’s vineyard, haunted by the horrors of war and the past she left behind. A shocking discovery about Rosanne’s fate propels Helen on a desperate quest for redemption, exposing the darkest corners of a family’s history.
“How High We Go in the Dark” by Sequoia Nagamatsu. Unearthed by melting permafrost, an ancient virus sweeps the globe, impacting life for generations to come. Nagamatsu’s brilliant novel blends dystopian and pandemic narratives as humanity finds myriad ways to cope with the Arctic Plague. Spanning centuries, with each chapter jumping forward in time, Nagamatsu seamlessly interconnects a diverse cast of characters. As the world declines, they do what they can to survive. Literary, thought-provoking, surreal and beautiful all at once.
Did you know you could win one of 10 grand prize book bags during Adult Summer Reading at Central Rappahannock Regional Library? Sign up at librarypoint.org/summer to log books you’ve read since May 15 and enter to win a big stack of books.
