The summer of 2022 has been particularly vicious weather-wise. A good piece of advice, in order to deal with these unbearable temperatures, is to get a great book. One of those that hook you up from the very start.
Besides getting comfy next to the AC with a nice brewage I have been busy trying to find one of these literary treats. The following titles are just some of the books I have read so far and that I would like to recommend for this purpose.
- Title: El caso Alaska Sanders by Joël Dicker
- Pages: 592
- Plot: In a small town in New Hampshire the body of Alaska Sanders was found with a note in her pocket with the following message: “I know what you’ve done”. Eleven years later the case gets reopened since there are reasonable doubts to think that the person that was put in jail for this crime could be innocent. A best-seller author Marcus Goldman and Sargent Perry Gahalowood will investigate this addictive literary affair.
- Liked: It keeps you interested in the plot until the very end of the story. It leaves you asking for more with phrases such as what I saw next left me speechless. So, you want to keep on reading to see what is coming next. And you do not need to read the previous books of this saga to understand and fully enjoy the book.
- Tags: Murder mystery, Crime, American culture, friendship, family, relationships, a small town…
- Title: Le Serpent majuscule by Pierre Lemaitre
- Pages: 336
- Plot: Mathilde, a sixty-three-year-old widow and hit woman with a volatile mood, mercilessly executes the assignments of a mysterious commander. This veteran heroine of the Resistance will be in trouble when her frequent carelessness makes her increasingly uncontrollable and begins to worry the highest echelons, determined to get rid of her before it’s too late.
- Liked: The diverse characters that are very well defined with very few words; Some unexpected turns and lots of audacity; And last but not least the humorous notes in such a murderous plot.
- Tags: murder, dementia, the elderly, humour, mood, independence, love, justice…
- Title: The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid
- Pages: 389
- Plot: Hollywood cinema legend Evelyn Hugo, who is aging and reclusive, is now prepared to open up about her dazzling and scandalous life. Evelyn tells a story of relentless ambition, a surprising friendship, and great forbidden love from the 1950s when she first arrived in Los Angeles to the 1980s when she decided to quit the entertainment industry. Of course, she also mentions the seven marriages she had along the way. Monique is the journalist chosen to write the diva’s biography but, why was she the chosen one?
- Liked: First, I simply wanted to know why was Monique specifically chosen for the job. Then I enjoyed going through old Hollywood’s history and also the way the protagonist captures your attention with her story. But what I really liked was that when the puzzle is finished, I get a picture I did not expect. Things beautifully fall into place.
- Tags: Old Hollywood, love, friendship, LGBTQ+, racism, Americana, actors, cinema, tabloids, journalism…
P.S. I hope you like them. I read these books in the languages indicated but there are other wonderful translations available. Don’t forget to visit your local library and your local bookshops!!!
MFL & BEYOND 