May Books of the Month

I heard someone say the other day, “I think I’m busier this time of year than I am at the holidays.” I would have to agree…with spring concerts, field trips, graduations, and this little move two thousand miles back across the country, I’ve hardly had time to crack a book this month. But I did squeeze in a few, just to share!

The Light Keeper’s Legacy by Kathleen Ernst

I craved cherry pie the whole time I was reading this mystery, set on Rock Island in Wisconsin’s Door County. The hubs and I escaped there for a weekend in the fall, and it was charming. I really, really enjoyed this book, written by a author who has actually lived in Wisconsin, worked as a historian, and even served as a docent at the Rock Island lighthouse.

The mystery kept me guessing pretty much until the end, and the writing truly painted a picture in my mind of the setting. Read it, by all means, if you’re looking for a mystery!

Here’s what the Goodreads info says:

Solitude at last! Museum curator Chloe Ellefson leaps at the opportunity to be a consultant for the historic lighthouse restoration project on Rock Island, a state park in Wisconsin’s scenic Door County. Hoping to leave her personal and professional problems at home, Chloe’s tranquility is suddenly spoiled when a dead woman washes ashore. Determined to find answers behind the mystery, Chloe dives into research about the island’s history and discovers the amazing, resilient women who once lived there. But will the link between the past and present turn out to be a beacon of hope or a portent of doom?

The Secret Keeper by Kate Morton

I love Kate Morton’s books, and this one definitely did not disappoint.  Here’s the synopsis…judge for yourself!

During a party at the family farm in the English countryside, sixteen-year-old Laurel Nicolson has escaped to her childhood tree house and is dreaming of the future. She spies a stranger coming up the road and sees her mother speak to him. Before the afternoon is over, Laurel will witness a shocking crime that challenges everything she knows about her family and especially her mother, Dorothy.
Now, fifty years later, Laurel is a successful and well-regarded actress, living in London. She returns to the family farm for Dorothy’s ninetieth birthday and finds herself overwhelmed by questions she has not thought about for decades. From pre-WWII England through the Blitz, to the fifties and beyond, discover the secret history of three strangers from vastly different worlds—Dorothy, Vivien, and Jimmy—who meet by chance in wartime London and whose lives are forever entwined.

Hush by Kate White

Don’t judge me. This was escapism and fabulous!  I read another by her a couple of months ago, and this one was just as readable.  It kept me up all night, finishing it.  If you need a book to read on vacation, this makes a great choice.

The blurb:

When Lake Warren learns that her husband, Jack, is suing for full custody of their two kids four months after their separation, she’s pretty certain that things can’t get any worse. The upside is that she’s working with the Advanced Fertility Center as a marketing consultant, alongside the attractive, flirtatious Dr. Keaton. But the morning after their one-night stand, Lake finds Keaton with his throat slashed and discovers that things can indeed become worse–they can become deadly.
So as not to jeopardize her case for custody, Lake is forced to lie to the police. Having just been intimate with a man who has been murdered, and wanting to protect herself from being charged with the crime, she begins her own search for the truth. Meanwhile, the police start looking at her closely, people at the clinic start treating her with hostility, and strange clues begin dropping–quite literally–on her doorstep, and Lake realizes that she is dangerously close to dark secrets, both about Keaton and the clinic. But can Lake stop what she’s started before it’s too late?

I’m currently reading Under the Dome by Stephen King, hoping to finish before the television series starts in late June. Then I’m going to start on the Game of Thrones series, because I haven’t watched it yet, wanting to read it first.  I know, I have a problem. But I also have lots of time this summer without a home, much less a DVR for my shows!

How about you?  Do you use your summer to catch up on great literature, or give your brain a break and read beach books?