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George Point: Book Talk! Three New Releases

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It’s warm weather reading season! Here’s an eclectic selection of new releases for your consideration.

From bestselling author Jennifer Weiner comes “The Summer Place” (Atria Books) a heartfelt novel of family, secrets, and the ties that bind. When her 22-year-old stepdaughter announces her engagement to her pandemic boyfriend, Sarah Danhauser is shocked. But Ruby has already set a date and spoken to Sarah’s mother, Veronica, about having the wedding at the family’s beach house in Cape Cod.

But as the wedding date approaches, Ruby finds herself grappling with the wounds left by the mother who walked out when she was a baby. Veronica faces unexpected news, and must revisit choices she made long ago.

Sarah’s twin brother, Sam, is recovering from a terrible loss and confronting big questions about who he is. Sarah’s husband, Eli, confronts the consequences of a long ago lapse from his good-guy behavior. And Sarah, worn out by challenges of life during quarantine, faces the reappearance of someone from her past and a life that could have been.

The confrontations and revelations that touch each member of the extended family ensure that nothing will ever be the same, and make for a compelling read.

Author John Grisham is the acknowledged master of the legal thriller. In “Homecoming” (Doubleday) his first collection of (three) novellas, law is a common thread, but Grisham, as always, has a few surprises in store.

“Homecoming” takes us back to Ford County, the fictional setting of many of John Grisham’s tales. Jake Brigance returns, and he’s called upon to help an old friend, a former lawyer who became a local legend when he stole from his clients, divorced his wife, filed for bankruptcy, and left his family in the middle of the night. Now he’s back, but his homecoming does not quite go as planned...

In “Strawberry Moon,” we meet Cody Wallace, a young death row inmate just three hours away from execution. His lawyers can’t save him and the governor denies a last-minute request for clemency. As the clock winds down, Cody has one final request...

The combatants in “Sparring Partners,” the third novella, are the Malloy brothers, Kirk and Rusty, two successful young lawyers who inherited a once prosperous firm when its founder, their father, was sent to prison. The brothers loathe each other, and as the firm disintegrates, the resulting fiasco falls into the lap of Diantha Bradshaw, the only person the partners trust. Can she save the Malloys, or will she choose to take a stand and try to save herself?

Finally, as more of us venture outside, consider” Grounded: A Guided Journal to Help You Reconnect with the Power of Nature – and Yourself” (Adams Media). Experience nature, both inside your home and out, with this beautifully illustrated, inspirational, and interactive journal to help you commune with the great outdoors.

Author Dr. Patricia H. Hasbach, a licensed psychotherapist and educator specializing in managing anxiety and depression, as well as fostering health and wellness, has filled Grounded with calming art, photography, inspirational quotes and activities to deepen your experience with nature.

Engaging all five senses, Hasbach’s guide/journal encourages you to bring the outdoors in, by constructing a simple leaf press to preserve fallen leaves, and growing low-maintenance house plants and edible herbs that perfume the air. Whether you live in a city or a wide-open space, “Grounded” may be just what you need to rediscover what the natural world has to offer.

Special thanks to the Doylestown Bookshop (doylestownbookshop.com) for their assistance in preparing this edition of Book Talk! Until next time, stay safe, and remember that “It’s always better with a book!”


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