A Sunny Sunday in Maine

Marshall Point Lighthouse, Port Clyde Maine.

On a gorgeous sunny late spring afternoon, I'm enjoying watching the Red Sox, basking in the Bruins Division championship, and sorting through books that are in the queue for reading and/or review. My pile was in danger of toppling, so I spent some time this morning going through the books I'd downloaded from Net Galley, reading the first chapters of several - or at least enough to determine that they weren't for me. It's often hard to decide based only on a publisher's blurb whether a book is really going to be an enjoyable read, so sometimes the only thing to do is plunge in, and make a decision.

I sent notes to about six publishers letting them know that while there wasn't anything WRONG with certain books, they just didn't turn out to be something I wanted to spend time on. Then I lined up the rest in order of publication dates and got them scheduled to weave in amongst the print ARCs and audiobooks I have sitting here shouting "pick me, pick me."

Consequently, although I've only finished three books this month (reviews this week), I've got 10 more lined up. I really want to get the print books read by mid-July because we're going on vacation to California, and I don't want to haul heavy books on the plane. So I'm excited to have some good e-books and audios to go with me.

Here are the top three on tap from Net Galley...they've all passed the "first cut" test and have me excited to get to them. I also have a library book I downloaded that expires tomorrow...looks like I'll be reading late tonite.Since it's not my usual genre, I'm keeping that under wraps until I review it, hopefully later this week.

First up....Capacity for Murder by Bernadette Pajer

Healing Sands Sanitarium, northwest of Hoquiam, Washington, sits on the sandy doorstep of the Pacific Ocean. Famed for its restorative rest-cure, fermented diets, and Dr. Hornsby's electrotherapeutics, no one has ever died at Healing Sands. Until now. When Professor Bradshaw is summoned to investigate, he knows this was no accident, but his only clue to foul play is as insubstantial as smoke—to anyone other than an electrical engineer. Suspects are limited to a handful whose lives—and lies—must be exhumed and examined. A sinister tale emerges as deep undercurrents turn personal, provoking Bradshaw to make a decision about the woman he loves. And then an everyday object provides the key, alerting Bradshaw that one among them is a walking dead man, and another possesses the capacity for murder.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The Astronauts wives club by Lily Koppel

As  America's Mercury Seven astronauts were launched on death-defying  missions, television cameras focused on the brave smiles of their young  wives. Overnight, these women were transformed from military spouses  into American royalty. They had tea with Jackie Kennedy, appeared on the  cover of Life magazine, and quickly grew into fashion icons,  donning sherbet-swirled Pucci dresses and lacquering their hair into  extravagant rocket styles.

Annie Glenn, with her  picture-perfect marriage and many magazine features, was the envy of the  other wives; platinum-blonde bombshell Rene Carpenter was proclaimed  JFK's favorite; Betty Grissom worried her husband was having affairs;  Louise Shepard just wanted to be left alone; and licensed pilot Trudy  Cooper arrived on base with a dirty secret. With each spectacular  launch, they worried they might never see their husbands again. Together  they formed the Astronaut Wives Club.

A fascinating,  dishy and moving read, , set against the backdrop of the Space Age and a  country that would be forever changed by it, THE ASTRONAUT WIVES CLUB  tells the real story of the women who stood beside some of the biggest  heroes in American history.

`````````````````````````````

The People in the Trees by Hanya Yanagihara

In 1950, a young doctor called  Norton Perina signs on with the anthropologist Paul Tallent for an  expedition to the remote Micronesian island of Ivu'ivu in search of a  rumored lost tribe. They succeed, finding not only that tribe but also a  group of forest dwellers they dub "The Dreamers," who turn out to be  fantastically long-lived but progressively more senile. Perina suspects  the source of their longevity is a hard-to-find turtle; unable to resist  the possibility of eternal life, he kills one and smuggles some meat  back to the States. He scientifically proves his thesis, earning  worldwide fame and the Nobel Prize, but he soon discovers that its  miraculous property comes at a terrible price. As things quickly spiral  out of his control, his own demons take hold, with devastating personal  consequences.            

So there you have it - a mystery, some literary fiction, and a dishy tell-all.  Add that to my pile of great mysteries in print, and an interesting non-fiction in audio (see the side-bars) and I'm really ready to enjoy the glorious breeze wafting off the river through the trees.  I might even have to cajole Mr. Tutu to get the gazebo put up.  Enjoy your Sunday.