Hello again books lovers! It’s Three to Read and we’re back for another set of book recommendations. This week is full of scandalous romances, laugh-out-loud moments, and a twenty-five-year boarding school cold case. So get your TBR list ready, because I’m sure you’ll be wanting to add these for your next trip to the bookstore or library.
Hot Pick
When the Summer was Ours
By Roxanne Veletzos
Synopsis:
It’s 1943 in Hungary and the war is pressing in on the country’s borders. Eva Cesar is counting down the days until she is free from her father and marries the admirable Red Cross doctor. But as she spends her last summer as a single woman at her aristocratic family’s estate in Sopron, Eva falls in love with Aleandro, a charming Romani fiddler and artist. Although, it doesn’t take long for a brutal act of hatred to separate the two lovers.
They try to forget the romance they shared as the war keeps them apart. But now the memory of that summer will haunt them, reshaping their futures and decisions that will affect generations to come.
Why:
From WWII Hungary through the siege of Budapest to New York in the 1950s and the Cold War; Veletzos’s sophomore novel may remind readers of A Tale of Two Cities and The Nightingale. A story about a love affair that crosses borders, the price we pay for keeping secrets, the fortitude of the human spirit, and the thin line between obsession and sacrifice. The international bestselling author of The Girl They Left Behind does not disappoint with her second novel, When Summer Was Ours.
Beach Read
The Guncle
By Steven Rowley
Synopsis:
Once-famous gay sitcom star, Gay Uncle Patrick (GUP, for short) loves spending time with his niece and nephew, Maisie and Grant, but only for holidays or weeklong vacations. But when Maisie and Grant lose their mom and Patrick’s brother is dealing with his own health crisis, Patrick finds himself as the primary guardian for a nine- and a six-year-old. Dealing with his own personal issues and a stalled career, Patrick doesn’t necessarily live a life fit for two children. Other than a set of “Guncle Rules” in place, Patrick has no idea what to expect. His eyes will be opened to a new set of responsibilities in this hilarious and heartfelt story.
Why:
A heartwarming and hilarious beach read from the bestselling author of Lily and the Octopus and The Editor. E! News called Guncle Rowley’s “funniest and most poignant novel yet.” Gay Uncle Patrick, Maisie, and Grant will keep you laughing until the very end in this tribute to the power of love, family, and patience.
Dark Horse
The Temple House Vanishing
By Rachel Donohue
Synopsis:
Louisa and Victoria are the outsiders at Temple House, a Catholic girls’ boarding school where they can’t get away from the repressive gaze of the nuns. Louisa and Victoria quickly form a bond that seems unbreakable until they both become infatuated with their young art teacher, Mr. Lavelle. Then one day Louisa and Mr. Lavelle both vanish.
Twenty-five years later, a journalist who grew up on the same street as Louisa discovers the dark past of the boarding school and is determined to solve the mystery.
Why:
This gothic mystery will keep you guessing until the very end. Earning its spot on the Irish Times Bestseller list before hitting the United States, Goodreads describes The Temple House Vanishing as “a stunning, intensely atmospheric novel of unrequited longing, dark obsession, and uneasy consequences.” Rachel Donohue has also been a finalist for the Irish Book Awards Newcomer of the Year and she is the 2017 Hennessey New Irish Writer of the Year.
That’s it for this week’s Three to Read! We’ll see you next week for another round of Three to Read!
Check out last week’s Three to Read here!