Preparing for a bookish blockbuster season this July and August

 

As we approach the Independence Day weekend, it's clearly time to acknowledge the big pop culture explosion of entertainment arriving in time for the summer.

Since my main focus here is on books(not to mention movie theaters still not quite available for many of us), I thought that showcasing new titles for this upcoming July and August should have a cinematic theme.

 After all, most of the best movies are from books and you can have some popcorn on hand while diving into these page turning motion pictures for the mind:

HORROR/THRILLER FUN

 

Grady Hendrix does it again, creating a pop culture/cult classic inspired narrative that charms,excites and gives pure character love in The Final Girl Support Group.

Lynette is a member of the title bunch, a therapy group made up of women who survived horrific massacres that became horror movie franchises. Despite not being seen as a "real Final Girl" due to her literally playing dead during the Christmas themed slaughter fest she went through, Lynn is the only one alert to an outside threat that seems to be targeting them all.

As she goes on the run to find the true killer, Lynn has to face her ultimate fears and prove to herself just how much of a strong survivor she really is. 

I was lucky enough to get an ebook ARC of this book and I finished it lightning fast. Not only are there dozens of Easter eggs for slasher movie fans to scoop up and enjoy, Hendrix adds in plenty of his own creativity and emotional character development to make this story more than just a frightful fun house ride. A total must-read for horror fans and those who long for more kickass heroines in all forms of pop culture(July):

 

In Samantha Downing's new thriller, For Your Own Good, we are introduced to Teddy Crutcher, an English Lit teacher at the prestigious Belmont Academy.

Teddy's proud of his Teacher of the Year award yet his urge to "fiddle" with those students he feels are in need of special attention gets no acclaim, which does bother him to no end.

When a school parent turns up missing, Teddy is not concerned about anyone looking in his direction but perhaps he should be. Seems that the talented editor of the school newspaper, Courtney Ross, has good reason to wonder about the other strange disappearances that have been connected to Belmont lately.

Can she make a case for Teddy being more than a helpful mentor or will the powers that be see Courtney as their culprit instead? Worse still, what if Teddy decides to downgrade her for good?

Downing has quite a knack for mixing the seeming steady suburban story with bizarrely believable twists and a dash of chilling humor to boot. This latest suspense shocker ought to be engagingly entertaining as well as educational evil(July):

 A TOUCH OF ROMANCE

 

Helen Hoang adds another offbeat love story to her romance roster with The Heart Principle. Violinist Anna Sun is feeling pressured as it is with her unexpected success due to a YouTube video of one of her performances going viral without her potential fiancee dropping a bombshell in her lap.

Seems that he wants to have an "open relationship" before settling down, which Anna is less than thrilled about. So she decides what's good for the gander can also be good for the goose and sets out to find plenty of temporary hook-ups with as many bad boys as she can get.

Her first try brings her to Quan, whose tattoo and motorcycle appearance conceals a sensitive soul that takes to Anna's plight right away. Instead of a one night stand, the two of them start to form a real bond that gets tested once a family situation becomes critical .

Hoang's love stories are down to earth escapades that entice the reader with warmth,honesty and passion,making this new novel a welcome treat that gives you a good excuse to seek relief from the summer heat indeed(August).

OLD FASHIONED MYSTERY

A new case of murder brings police chief Kate Burkholder back to her past in Linda Castillo's Fallen. The victim, Rachael Schwartz, was like Kate, formerly Amish and had left her home town long ago. In fact, Kate remembers babysitting Rachael as a child and wonders why she felt the need to return.

While looking into the matter, Kate learns that Rachael had a bad habit of blackmailing people, both Amish and "English" alike. Finding the killer promises to unearth plenty of secrets that could reach out to take down Kate as well but her sense of official and ethical duty is the tie that truly binds.

This book is the 13th entry in Castillo's series about Kate Burkholder yet it can be read as a standalone, which is great as that gives you plenty more to explore here. Word of mouth and critical praise for these books might bring about a future adaptation to these works that should make for smartly written entertainment worth watching there (July):

 
SEQUEL TIME

 Fans of the delightful Dear Mrs. Bird will be very much pleased to learn that writer AJ Pearce has a follow-up to her story of Emmy Lake and friends during WWII in London.

Yours Cheerfully has Emmy still writing for Women's Friend magazine yet a new responsibility is added to her plate when requested to chronicle the life and times of women at work for the war effort.

She's happy to help as always yet upon looking beyond the government issued spin on the situation, realizes that things aren't quite what they seem for the ladies on the factory front lines.

Despite the disapproval from the higher-ups, Emmy is determined to make things better for those women whose sacrifices are just as significant as any man's during such troubled times. Can she do all of that and get to her own wedding on time as well?

The lighthearted nature of Dear Mrs. Bird and this upcoming sequel shouldn't make you think that these stories are mere fluff. Far from it, the power of positive thinking and action are sound principles both for life and a good book(August).

 

I wish you all a happy July Fourth and will see you soon after the holiday weekend. In the meanwhile, do enjoy a good book and a fun movie as safely as you can. While there are way too many streaming services around these days, I am beyond overjoyed to have one that will let me watch the next major DC Comics movie in the air conditioned comfort of my own home(and I hope all of you can as well):