Five Irresistible Reads for July

Cynthia Ross Cravit | July 11th, 2014

From romantic romps and historical sagas to a cultural study of modern Canada, here are some hot-off-the-press books for your bedside table or beach bag

A WEDDING IN PROVENCE by Ellen Sussman

It’s wedding season, and what wedding doesn’t have its share of drama? Fifty-somethings Olivia and Brody have chosen dreamy Provence to celebrate what will be second marriage for both of them. But the idyllic setting in the vineyards and beaches of southern France doesn’t dissuade their closest friends and family from behaving badly. A multigenerational tale of love, lust and longing from the bestselling author of French Lessons.

THE DEVIL ON HER TONGUE by Linda Holeman

Lose yourself in 18^th century Portugal with this new historical novel from the Canadian author of The Lost Souls of Angelkov. Abandoned by her Dutch sailor father, when she was only 13, Diamantina becomes an outcast on the Portuguese island of Porto Santo, tainted by her mother’s witchcraft and her foreign blood. The story follows Diamantina on her odyssey to change her destiny and forge a new life. A perfect read for a lazy day at the beach.

GREAT CANADIAN LIVES: A CULTURAL HISTORY OF MODERN CANADA THROUGH THE ART OF THE OBIT by Sandra Martin

From icons to rogues and romantics, award-winning Globe and Mail journalist Sandra Martin’s new book captures the life and times of 50 extraordinary Canadians through the art of the obituary. The witty collection of essays and extended obituaries of some of the country’s most colourful figures — from Pierre Trudeau and Mordecai Richler to notorious bank robber Paddy Mitchell — is an engaging account of the political, social and cultural history of modern Canada.

THE CITY by Dean Koontz

Widely known for his thrillers, Dean Koontz’s new book takes a different direction with this coming-of-age story set in the late 1960s. The book, which contains an element of the mystical, follows Jonah Kirk, a musical prodigy from an accomplished artistic family, as he begins to explore his own dreams in the city. When Jonah uncovers a particularly dangerous plot being hatched by tenants in his apartment building, his life is forever changed.

THE CARE AND MANAGEMENT OF LIES by Jacqueline Winspear

As the world marks the centennial of the Great War this month, Jacqueline Winspear’s new historical fiction takes us deep into the personal pain and chaos caused by war. Following the lives of a British brother and sister, Tom and Kezia, and Tom’s fiancé, Thea, it is a story of hope and heartbreaking loss and the lies we tell — to ourselves and each other — to give comfort when lives are brutally interrupted.