"Beautiful Music"

If you were a teen in the early 70's you'll enjoy this novel. It takes place in the aftermath of the '67 riots on the west side of Detroit. The story centers on Danial, an introverted, nerdy kid who is about to start hight school. He's a loner and has trouble making friends. Along comes rock and roll to save the day. He befriends a music nut who introduces him the the world of rock, which was hitting its peak in the late 60s and early 70s in Detroit. The city has always been a musical hotspot, but this time period was truly remarkable, as anyone who lived here during that era with tell you. The book is the lates from the author who wrote the notable novel "The Leisure Seeker", which was made into a major Hollywood film.

"The Guest Book"

A multi-generational tale about a wealthy New York family The interweaving story focuses mainly on the family during the early 1960s and the present day. It's a well-crafted novel and a fascinating story. Not quite a beach read, it's a great summer book. While I found myself loathing most of the characters, I couldn't wait to find out what happens to them. A good deal of the book takes place on an island off the coast of Maine the family buys in the early part of the 20th century. Since finishing the book, I now want to read her debut novel. 

"The Lost Girls of Paris"

Perfect summer reading, this is a total page turner. It's a bit formulaic--it starts with a woman finding an abandoned suitcase in Grand Central. When she looks into it she finds an envelope with photos of several women. Cut to a woman in London being recruited to be s spy in Occupied France near the end of WWII. The two stories are interwoven as the book progresses. I've read a couple books recently that followed the same pattern. Not original but enjoyable nonetheless. One thing that drives me crazy is when an author of historical fiction does't get the facts straight. There's a mention of the woman wanting to go on a cruise aboard the QE2. The book takes place in the 1940s and Queen Elizabeth wasn't crowned until the 1950s. And the ship didn't launch until 1968! And I found a couple typos, which is a mortal sin in my book. Anyway, the book is definitely a quick and enjoyable read.

"A Tale for the Time Being"

Two stories in one, actually. It's a tale about an author living in the Pacific Northwest of Canada, who discovers a diary washed up on the beach. It's from Japan and possible from the aftermath of the tsunami and nuclear meltdown that took place years before. The story follows her search for the young girl who wrote it as well as the life of the girl who penned the diary. It's a beautifully crafted novel that brings up the question of just what is reality and do we have a hand in shaping it. It can be read on a number of levels, but truth be told, I'm of average intelligence and I think a portion of the book went largely over my head. But it was a great read nonetheless. 

"Little"

One of the more unusual books I've ever read, and I've read plenty of them. "Little" is a tale, told through the eyes of Marie, a young, vertically-challenged girl. She lives in Germany with her mother, who works for a doctor specializing in making models of human organs. After her mother dies, Marie moves to Paris with the doctor and the two of them live with an absolutely wicked widow. There, they become somewhat famous making and displaying life masks of French celebrities. Marie is then hired as a companion for Louis XVI's young sister, whom she resembles. The story is ostensibly about the life of Madame Tussaud. I found the book absolutely riveting and couldn't[t put it down. Not only is it well written, it gives the reader an unvarnished view of what life was like in late 18th century France. I found the book in London, so it might not be as readily available here in the U.S..

"The Light Between Oceans"

Following his experiences fighting in the First World War, a young man Tom finds himself in southwestern Australia. He takes a job as a lighthouse keeper on a remote island and eventually marries a local girl, Isabel. One day, the couple hear the sounds of a baby crying, and discover a newborn aboard a rowboat along with the body of a young man. Isabel, who has lost three babies in childbirth, decides that it's a "sign from God" and keeps the child as her own. This is a beautifully written and superbly crafted first novel by M.L. Stedman. While I couldn't wait to find out what happened, I also didn't want the book to end. I look forward to see what she writes next.

"The Light Over London"

I'm a total Anglophile and a sucker for WWII novels in general. So just seeing the cover of this book immediately grabbed my attention. I'm glad I gave it a shot, although I'm grateful my local library had it--while a good read, hardly worth adding to my permanent and out of control collection of books. The story is about Cara, a young divorcee who works for an antique dealer. While (or whilst, as the English would say) visiting an estate, the contents of which are to be sold off, she finds the diary of a young woman, Louise, who writes about her experiences during the war. The story jumps between the diary entries, Cara's pursuit of the diarist, and the story as told through Louise's eyes. The book is quite enjoyable, however I found the writing to be so-so and full of cliches.