Summer Reading Recs, part 1
Suggestions for reads at the beach, on planes/boats/trains and long summer days on the deck and a bonus recipe for a mocktail to try!
Are you planning a vacation? Dreaming of the beach? Just longing for a long stretch of reading time on the deck or in the shade of your porch? I’ve got you covered for recommendations for some new books to bring along. And make sure you scroll to the bottom for a mocktail recipe to enjoy.
Planning a trip to Europe, a riverboat cruise or just dreaming of the day you will finally do either?
Laura Lippman’s MURDER TAKES A VACATION is the perfect book for that. What a fun cozy mystery, with a picture perfect setting on a riverboat cruise in France and a lively cast of characters. If you love Agatha Christie’s Murder on the Orient Express or her Caribbean Mystery, or any of the Agatha Raisin novels, you will love this book. Muriel Blossom, who you may remember from Lippman’s Tess Monaghan series, gets a juicy mystery of her own. Mrs. Blossom, recently widowed, has found a winning lottery ticket and used it, in part, to purchase a riverboat cruise for herself and a friend. When a potential love interest turns up dead, Mrs. Blossom is left trying to find the murderer. There’s romance and intrigue and suspense. Five stars!
And for those of you who prefer to wander in museums in the heat of the summer, Jonathan Santlofer’s THE LOST VAN GOGH is another perfect read for planning a European vacation.
THE LOST VAN GOGH is another masterpiece of an art world thriller from Jonathan Santlofer, the author of The Last Mona Lisa. Revisiting characters from his previous art world mystery, Santlofer tackles the rumored last self portrait of Vincent Van Gogh and the ongoing trauma of Nazi-looted art. From the Bowery in New York City, to the museums and canals of Amsterdam, to the tiny French village that Van Gogh last called home, Santlofer covers lots of tourist material in this well-researched page turner that keeps you guessing until the end!
And finally, a recipe for the It Cocktail of the summer that will make you feel like you are traveling in Europe without the jetlag or the hangover.
Mock Aperol Spritz (Serves 2)
6 oz Orange Juice (no pulp)
4 oz Grapefruit Juice*
2 oz Cherry Juice*
4 oz Mineral Water or Unflavored Seltzer
Garnish:
4-6 Orange Slices
2 Sprigs Fresh Rosemary
Combine the juices and mineral water in a small pitcher with ice. Stir to combine. Place two slices of orange each into two large wine glasses. Pour the juice mixture over the oranges. Garnish each glass with one orange slice and a sprig of rosemary. Enjoy with your favorite book buddy!
*Use 100% juice for best results
Let me know if you try to the mock spritz.