I know you can read beach reads all year long if you want to and I may slip in a few here or there, but it doesn't hit the same, does it? Unless you are that lucky person who gets to take her vacation at the beach in September. Now that Labor Day is approaching, I wanted to share two more "beach reads" that will be perfect to end the summer season with.
Goodreads says, "After suffering through her first year of graduate school at Columbia following her senator father’s death, Betsy Whiting is hoping to spend the summer with her boyfriend…and hopefully end the summer as his fiancée. Instead, her mother—a longtime feminist and leader in the women’s movement—calls Betsy and her sisters back home to Martha’s Vineyard, announcing that they need to sell their beloved summer house to pay off their father’s debts.
When Betsy arrives on the island a week later, she must reckon with her strained familial relationships, a long-ago forbidden romance, and the complicated legacy of her parents, who divided the family even as they did good for the world.
Following a dual timeline between 1965 and 1978, and filled with the vibrant, sunlit nostalgia of the cherished New England vacation setting, Our Last Vineyard Summer poignantly captures two generations of women navigating love, loss, and womanhood while trying to find the courage to stand up for what they believe in—and the strength to decide if the home they once loved is worth saving."
I like how Foster jumped from a 1965 timeline to 1978 to really paint a picture of the Whiting women. Even though there are many years between the story lines, a lot of the same themes run true. I really enjoyed the character of Virgie and following along with her struggles as a senator's wife, while also being a major feminist. There was more to her story than initially thought. I also appreciated Betsy's story and her return home to Martha's Vineyard. The setting of the Vineyard and the memories they have of summer's past make Our Last Vineyard Summer a good beach read for those who like stories about strong women.
Goodreads says, "Mia and Cricket have always been close. The gifted daughters of a young single mother, the “Lowe girls” are well-known in the small Maine town they call home. Each sister has a role to fill: The responsible and academically minded Mia assumes the position of caregiver far too young, while Cricket, a bouncing ball of energy and talent, seems born for soccer stardom. But the cost of achieving athletic greatness comes at a steep price.
As Mia and Cricket grow up, they must grapple with the legacy of their mother’s secret past while navigating their own precarious future. Can Mia allow herself to fall in love at the risk of repeating a terrible history? Will Cricket’s relentless chase of a lifelong goal drive her sister away? When does loyalty become self-sabotage?
A sharply observed and tender portrait of sisters, love, and ambition, Spectacular Things is a sweeping story about the impossible choices we’re forced to make in pursuit of our dreams."
Mia and Cricket are known as the Lowe girls around their small Maine town and are as thick as thieves. Raised by a very young single mother, Liz, life wasn't always easy, and they had to rely on one another. Mia has always been the responsible and reliable one, ready to step in when her mother couldn't, to make sure Cricket would succeed. Cricket is a ball of energy and a soccer phenom. They have high hopes for Cricket as the family often sacrifices for her dream of becoming a soccer star. Also, the story flashes back to Liz's life, the dreams she gave up, as well as what brought the family to this point. Spectacular Things by Beck Dorey-Stein is an outstanding audiobook for fans of sports stories as well as tales of sisterhood.
At first, based on the cover, I thought Spectacular Things was going to be a light beach read; however, it was much more than I expected. In fact, it reminded me of Carrie Soto is Back at times, and that is high praise. I love a good sports story, and Stein captured that, but the story was so much more- so much depth! I also thought it was going to be a story about Mia and Cricket's bond, but the plot also delves into Liz's past, and I really enjoyed her journey. It had me thinking about life, the sacrifices we make, and begs readers to ask the question: what we are willing to give up for family? Spectacular Things is such a smart and well-written book; it took me by surprise.
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