Every month we let you know what we’ve been reading and our monthly recommendations. You’ll get to see new titles with fabulous reviews from the Bay Books team, and we’re sure you’ll love these fantastic books just as much as we do. We recommend a wide range of genres and themes.
Tina’s Picks
Habits of the Sea by Shea Ernshaw
I love a good novel that has the eeriness of misty islands and deep, turbulent ocean waves which bespeak of Ireland or Scotland. This one has it, as well as a slightly paranormal plot that is envious to those who wish for a fulfilled life.
During a tempestuous storm, an island breaks free of Scotland, bearing a young man who is mourning the death of his wife and two newborn children. As it drifts at sea for years, it is sighted by a young girl who cannot shake the memory of it, though no one else believes she has seen it. Thirty years later, she sees the island again, this time close enough to swim to it and swim to it she does. Once there, her choice is clear: stay with the life that she has always known or stay on the mythical island with a man whose love defies time and nature. Ernshaw is a mesmerizing writer, and you will be swept away by this tale, possibly with a smile on your face at the end.
A book that takes a bit to get into (maybe 15 pages, not bad) until you realize the brilliance of the writing style and come across descriptive lines such as,” This, he supposed, was Thomas Hart, whose letter and columns (newspaper) suggested a man who shed dust as he walked.”. This is the line that made me see that humor and a measured amount of cynicism would be involved in all observations and human encounters within this story. Initially I was hooked by the scription of a main character obsessed with a vanished nineteenth century astronomer who may or may not be, haunting a nearby manor. How could you not be fascinated by that? Sarah Perry is such an INTERESTING writer and picks such interesting themes. Even though this book is set in 1997, you will get all the gothic vibes as you read it.
This author always astounds me with the subject matter she chooses and the perspective she gives it. I loved The Guest, a quirky commentary on who is using who in this world—taking place on Nantucket—is followed by this hypnotic novel which probes the depths of human consciousness, indicating what we are left with when all the accomplishments we have defined ourselves by, as well as compromises, are gone. Intriguing.
Becky’s picks
This Story Might Save Your Life by Tiffany Crum
Podcast hosts, Benny and Joy host a beloved show, delighting listeners each week with a different “against all odds” survival story. Joy suffers from severe narcolepsy, which plays a profound role in this mystery/love story.
Benny and joy, best friends, along with their spouses, build a lucrative empire, leading up to what might be their final survival story – their own. As millions of listeners follow along, not even the most devoted fans could guess their secrets. See if you can figure it out! A fun, quick read.
The Sequel by Jean Hanff Korelitz
The Sequel follows The Plot by same author and is even better. (You don’t need to read The Plot to enjoy The Sequel, but if you do you will recognize some of the characters.)
Anna, wife of recently deceased bestselling author Jacob, puts to rest accusations of plagiarism surrounding his book that haunted him to his dying day. When Anna publishes her own book, and indulges in her own literary acclaim, she begins to receive excerpts of a novel… one that should no longer exist! Someone out there knows far too much. Who is this person, what do they want, and what are they prepared to do? And what will Anna do to keep her story, her story?
Karin’s Picks
Exit Party by Emily St. John Mandel
The year is 2031 and the United States has ruptured into a group of warring territories. Ari “Smith,” released from prison after a nearly 20-year sentence, attends a party whose strange circumstances haunt her years later. As Ari navigates trying to stay alive in an ever-changing and challenging dystopian economy, she has to consider weird fissures in the reality she used to know. An intriguing foray into an almost believable future.
Set in Ireland after the Potato Famine, Land chronicles how the members of a tightly knit, loving family are torn between what they need as individuals and their responsibilities to take care of one another. Each person’s intertwining story involves their deep relationship to place, to the flora and fauna, the waters and land formations that nourish them, both physically and emotionally, and ultimately fashion their identity. Evocative and moving, this book will set you thinking about immigration and connection to homeland, to what one ultimately knows about each other people’s fate, and that which perhaps one will never know.
