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• “Summer Rental” by Mary Kay Andrews

Former Raleigh resident Mary Kay Andrews (also known by her real name, Kathy Trocheck) doesn’t disappoint with this tale of girls gone wild on North Carolina’s outer banks. Well, not exactly girls gone wild. More like women, most friends since grade school, reuniting for a relaxing, summer vacation only to encounter shocking news from each of them. None of their secrets, however, measures up to those of Maryn Shackleford, a woman on the run with a gun in her suitcase. – Tracy (Collection Development)

• “The Empress of Mars” by Kage Baker

The Empress of Mars is the name of a bar established on Mars after colonizing efforts are abandoned—along with the people hired to do the work of establishing the colony. Now Mary Griffith and her daughters run the Empress and help to keep the planet’s economy ticking. The plot is rather episodic, but the characters are fascinating and keep you reading and cheering for their efforts to overcome the evils they encounter. – Sue S. (Cameron Village Regional Library)

• “The Accident: A Novel” by Linwood Barclay

When Glen Garber’s wife doesn’t return home from an evening business class, he realizes that there’s a lot about his wife he doesn’t know. The police tell him that she was responsible for an accident that killed another person, but a series of twists and turns reveal more suburban secrets than any Desperate Housewife ever wanted. – Tracy (Collection Development)

• “Joy for Beginners” by Erica Bauermeister

Having survived cancer, Kate isn’t afraid of much. But when her friends propose that she try a whitewater rafting trip to celebrate her new lease on life, she’s not too sure she can do it. She agrees to take the dare, but in turn, she gets to set a goal for each of them. Kate’s challenges will cause them to stretch and grow in ways that will change each of them forever. – Liz (Cary Community Library)

• “The Tortilla Curtain” by T. Coraghessan Boyle

This story weaves together the stories of two disparate couples; well-to-do liberals living in a gated community in the hills of Los Angeles, and two illegal aliens from Mexico, homeless, poor and waiting on the birth of their first child. Their paths cross repeatedly as each struggle to come to terms with their lives and their shared world. An excellent read. – Katrina (North Regional Library)

• “Sisterhood Everlasting: A Novel” by Ann Brashares

Although it is number five in the series of the “Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants” this novel can also be read as a standalone. Lena, Bee, Carmen and Tibby are four lifelong friends on the verge of turning 30. They are each at different places in their busy lives but are forever bound together by that special connection they shared in their adolescence. In this extremely touching novel their sisterhood connections will give them the courage, love and support necessary to survive what life throws their way. – Sue (West Regional Library)

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• “Caleb’s Crossing: A Novel” by Geraldine Brooks

Bethia Mayfield is growing up on a small island in the mid-1600s. As the daughter of a Puritan minister who is trying to convert the island’s Native American population to Christianity, she befriends colonists and natives to the island alike as a child. She becomes especially close to Caleb, an intelligent young Wampanoag man who goes on to become the first Native American to graduate from Harvard University in 1665. This is the story of Caleb’s crossing between two cultures, but more than that, it’s a fascinating and beautifully written glimpse at the tensions between the settlers and the natives and at Puritan life. – April (Holly Springs Library)

• “Nick of Time” by Tim Downs

It’s days until bug man Nick Polchak is to be married. It’s terrifying him. So, when a friend invites him to attend the monthly meeting of Vidocs, where the guys go to discuss cold cases, Nick rushes to the meeting, where he finds out his friend has been murdered. He goes on a wild goose chase to solve the murder. Meanwhile his fiancée, Alena, can’t get in touch with him, and goes to search for him, putting herself in danger, and angry at Nick. This is a suspenseful page-turner with a twist and an unforgettable ending. – Donna (Zebulon Library)

• “A Visit from the Goon Squad” by Jennifer Egan

This novel covers a span of about 20 years from the 1980s to sometime in the near future. Rock and roll is at its heart and the characters are a motley assortment of people who tangentially connect with each other. The action takes place all over the world and this book will grab you and hold you to the end. – Martha (Green Road Library)

• “Layover in Dubai” by Dan Fesperman

Auditor Sam Keller has a well-earned reputation as a stand-up guy. He always walks the straight and narrow. Sam is sent on a business trip, with a layover in Dubai, primarily to keep an eye on a rowdy colleague. Before he knows it, his colleague is murdered and Sam is in all kinds of hot water with the local police and his company. Stunned, he proceeds to break all the rules as he tries to unravel the knots of deceit that ensnare him and threaten his life. – Jack (Cary Community Library)

• “City of Shadows” by Ariana Franklin

“City of Shadows” opens in the shabby, brutal and corrupt city of Berlin during the year 1922. Esther Solomonova, a Russian Jew, horribly scarred during a pogrom, scrapes out a desolate living as the occasional mistress and indispensable business manager to fellow Russian émigré “Prince Nick.” Nick, always scheming to find a way to make his fortune, is the owner of several tawdry nightclubs frequented by the powerful leaders of Weimar Germany. His latest unscrupulous scheme is to present asylum patient Anna Anderson as the Russian Grand Duchess, Anastasia. As Anna’s companion and guardian, Esther realizes Anna’s fear of being hunted may not be a delusional fantasy. Anna’s existence appears to be the key to the multiple unsolved murders investigated by Inspector Schmidt. – Karen (Cary Community Library)

• “The Cookbook Collector: A Novel” by Allegra Goodman

You don’t need to be a fan of cooking to be mesmerized by Allegra Goodman’s novel about two sisters and their respective relationships with each other and the loves in their lives. Diametric opposites, Dot.com CEO Emily and her environmental, philosophy student sister, Jessamine, are characters that you root for to find happiness in their complicated lives. Although I was a fan of Emily, it was Jessamine’s relationship with her curmudgeonly boss who won my heart as they worked together cataloguing a collection of rare, antique cookbooks. A great find for fans of Jennifer Weiner. – Janet (East Regional Library)

• “The Magician King: A Novel” by Lev Grossman

We are living in a time of (technological) magic and in a time of discontent, and in Lev Grossman’s “The Magician King” (a sequel to “The Magicians”), magic and discontent unite. After graduating from Brakebills, a secret college of magic, Quentin and some of his fellow magicians rule the magical realm of Fillory. This should be the happily-ever-after, but to constantly dissatisfied Quentin it is not – something is missing, even as his wildest dream has come true – so he decides to go on a quest. By his side is Julia, a creature who once was a gloomy and brooding young woman, desperately trying to attain the magician’s skills she felt entitled to, even after narrowly failing her entrance exam to Brakebills. Julia has already paid the price for her quest – what’s the price for Quentin’s quest? – Emil (Leesville Public Library)

• “North River” by Pete Hamill

New York City is in the heart of the Depression. Dr. James Delaney tends to the sick and ailing in lower Manhattan, whether they can pay or not. He is friends with all - gangsters, cops, hookers, family and friends. However, he lives under the burden of a wife, Molly, who has disappeared and a daughter, Grace, who has run away. He comes home one evening to find a baby boy on his steps with a note pinned on him. It is his grandson, Carlos. Apparently, Grace has run off to find her husband. Through his many friends, a nanny named Rosa is sent to help him through these difficult times. Now he has to face the fact that he may never see his wife or daughter again and he will be responsible for raising his grandson. The picture of Manhattan in the 30s is so real, you will feel you are living there. – Steve (Cary Community Library)

• “Misery Bay” by Steve Hamilton

In Steve Hamilton’s latest Alex McKnight mystery, we find Alex still drinking Canadian beer at the Glasgow Inn, still working on his cabins, still wondering why on earth he lives in a place where winter never seems to end. Everything in his life is reassuringly normal until he receives a plea for help from his arch nemesis, Police Chief Roy Maven. As strange as it seems to Alex, Maven does have at least one friend, Charles Razniewski, who needs help investigating the death of his only child. McKnight agrees to help even though he thinks there is little he can do – how can he say no to what will surely be a once in a lifetime request for a favor from Maven? Hamilton’s writing is taut, with frequent flashes of mordant humor; the pacing is electric, building to a heart-stopping climax. There was no way anyone could have made me put down this book once I started it. – Janet (West Regional Library)

• “Death Comes to Pemberley” by P.D. James

Many, many writers have attempted to imitate, to reinterpret or to continue the stories of Jane Austen. Most have failed; many very badly. P. D. James is the first that I feel has really gotten it right. The death referred to in the title happens on the grounds of Darcy and Elizabeth’s beautiful estate of Pemberley. This forces them to be involved and threatens to disrupt their peaceful life in the country. Set several years after “Pride & Prejudice,” this novel brings back all your favorite characters and a few less popular ones too! – Pam (West Regional Library)

• “Silver Sparrow” by Tayari Jones

Silver Sparrow is told through the eyes of Dana Yarboro and Chaurisse Witherspoon. These sisters are the daughters of James Witherspoon. Dana is the illegitimate daughter that no one knows about. This is an intriguing story of how the girls lead very different lives and eventually form a friendship, Dana knows that Chaurisse is her sister but Chaurisse is none the wiser. – Carla (North Regional Library)

• “When She Woke” by Hillary Jordan

Jordan imagines a not-too-distant future where the Christian Right has seemingly “won.” Abortion is outlawed and the United States now has a “Secretary of Faith” appointed by the President. In an effort to ease overcrowded prisons all but the most violent criminals are “Chromed” - meaning a virus is injected into them that genetically alters their skin color - and then set loose as outcasts in society. Different classes of criminals have different skin colors. Hannah Payne is the secretly rebellious daughter in a strict, Christian family. The book opens after her sentencing for aborting her child. For the crime of murder, her skin has been chromed to a vivid-red color. Because she refused to name both the father of the baby and the doctor who performed the abortion, her sentence is extended. The path that follows for Hannah is hellacious, but believable. I did not expect the story to end the way that it did, but I was the happier for it. This book makes you think and would generate a lot of good discussion, it would also make an interesting companion read for “The Scarlet Letter.” I hope that book clubs embrace it. – Kathryn (West Regional Library)

• “How to Bake a Perfect Life: A Novel” by Barbara O’Neal

Ramona learned to bake when she was a pregnant 15 year old, who was sent to live with her Aunt Poppy. She now owns her own bakery. Her daughter now is pregnant and married to a soldier who gets wounded in Afghanistan. Sophie asks Ramona to take in her stepdaughter, Katie, while Katie’s mother is in rehab. If that isn’t enough, Ramona has one disaster after another and is afraid of losing her home and business. With everything going on, Ramona learns a lot about herself, her family and the love of her life. Fantastic read about mother-daughter relationships and the healing power of baking bread. I hope there is a sequel, it was so good. – Donna (Zebulon Library)

• “The Scarlet Pimpernel” by Baroness Orczy Emmuska and Gary Hoppenstand

This 1905 classic adventure story is not great literature, but the book survives because it’s a rollicking good read. “The Scarlet Pimpernel” is an aristocrat by day, pretending to be shallow and clueless. But by night he is a revolutionary, helping French aristocrats to escape the guillotine. Not even his wife knows the truth – at first. – Sue S. (Cameron Village Regional Library)

• “Whistlin’ Dixie in a Nor’easter” by Lisa Patton

When LeeLee’s husband, Baker Satterfield, tells her he wants to buy a B&B, she thinks he’s dreaming. They move from Memphis to Vermont where she is up to her eyeballs in snow and Yankees. When Baker leaves her for a snow bunny at a ski resort, LeeLee is devastated. She remembers her Daddy’s words and literally pulls herself up by the boot straps, fixes up the inn and becomes a survivor. This is one hilarious romp in the snow by a Southern belle. – Donna (Zebulon Library)

• “The Tenderness of Wolves: A Novel” by Stef Penney

This is a tense, prize-winning thriller set in the winter of 1867 in the Northern Territory of Canada. A body is found in a small town, and a variety of people are determined to find out what happened and what the victim left behind. Stef Penney’s writing is fluid and beautiful, taking the reader into a cold, frightening and exhilarating world. I was reminded of Cold Mountain, Mrs. Mike, Jack London’s short story “To Build a Fire” and Conrad Richter’s “The Light in the Forest.” – Druie (North Regional Library)

• “All the Lives He Led: A Novel” by Frederik Pohl

The massive super volcano that is Yellowstone finally erupted and has wiped out most of the continental United States. The only way Brad Sheridan can escape America is by selling himself into indentured servitude. The year is 2079, and the 2000th anniversary of the eruption of Vesuvius. A massive theme park has been erected on the ruins of Pompeii and Brad is sent to there to work. Terrorism has become an extremely popular method used by most disaffected social groups and fate places Brad Sheridan in the path of a terrorist group that plans to use the anniversary of the Pompeii eruption to draw attention to their cause by creating a huge disaster. – Teri (Holly Springs Library)

• “Cell 8” by Anders Roslund and Borge Hellstrom

A pair of Swedish authors who write “I can’t put it down thrillers.” How many people get a chance to live two lives, especially when you are scheduled to die in the electric chair during your first life….whether you are really innocent or guilty? John Meyer Frey is slated to be electrocuted for the murder of his girlfriend when he collapses and dies days before the electrocution. Then five years later a singer on a Swedish tourist ferry is arrested after attacking a drunken passenger. The name of the singer is John Schwarz……except John Schwarz doesn’t exist. Now it is up to Detective Ewert Grens and his team to solve the puzzle and a murder. – Steve (Cary Community Library)

• “Name of the Wind” by Patrick Rothfuss

Kvothe (pronounced like “quothe”) was once the most legendary and powerful wizard the world has known. But, his troubled life has led him to seek anonymity running an inn out in the countryside. The spreading evil that he thought he had left behind soon makes its way to his part of the world, as does the Chronicler of Stories, who discovers Kvothe’s true identity and persuades him to tell his life’s story. The book has been compared to Harry Potter, as well as to the fantasy novels of Terry Brooks, Robert Jordan and George R.R. Martin, but those comparisons only paint a part of the amazing picture that Rothfuss has written for us. – Dan (Cameron Village Regional Library)

• “Louise’s War” by Sarah Shaber

Local author Shaber has created a marvelous character in Louise Pearlie, a North Carolina widow who moves to Washington, D.C., in 1942 to work for the Office of Strategic Services. Of course, Louise is just a clerk, but that doesn’t stop her from getting involved in murder and intrigue when she tries to help a Jewish friend escape from Nazi France. The author’s picture of life in Washington for the women working for the war effort pulls you in right from the first page, and you’ll keep turning the pages until the end. A second book in the series, “Louise’s Gamble,” has just been released. – Sue S. (Cameron Village Regional Library)

Check out more summertime reads next week in the Garner News.