[jp4m2]

I found these books got great reviews, but I haven't read them myself to say:


4. Northern Lights by Nora Roberts. Roberts has written dozens of novels, but this is one of her all-time best. Set in the Alaskan wilderness, this unforgettable tale features murder, mystery, quirky characters, and of course, romance and a surprise ending. A spot-on portrayal of small-town life and the powerful bonds of community make this an extraordinary summer read.


5. Good in Bed by Jennifer Weiner. This first novel from super-popular Jennifer Weiner is perhaps the funniest and most poignant of them all. When Candace Shapiro learns that her ex-boyfriend writes an advice column called "Good in Bed" for a new women's magazine, she is mortified. Cannie's trials and tribulations -- weight troubles, men troubles, job troubles -- will ring all too true. Don't miss this talented author's debut novel -- it'll have you laughing out loud between reaching for your hankie.


7. Can You Keep a Secret? by Sophie Kinsella. Imagine confiding intimate details of your life to a handsome stranger sitting next to you on a plane, thinking you'll never see him again. Imagine learning that he is, in fact, your new boss. This flirty, funny, fast-paced romance will have your beach chair neighbors wondering what you keep laughing about while your nose is stuck in this addictive book. Fabulous fluff, the quintessential escapist summer read.


A thriller: Shutter Island
In the summer of 1954, U.S. Marshalls Teddy Daniels and Chuck Aule visit Shutter Island off the Massachusetts coast to visit a maximum-security prison and institution for the criminally insane. They are there to investigate the apparent escape of a woman named Rachel Solando, although her escape seems impossible. Teddy and Chuck discover that illegal experiments are being conducted on the prisoners under the auspices of fighting the Cold War. As an approaching storm reaches hurricane strength, Teddy's past comes back to haunt him and nothing appears to be what it seems anymore. Dennis Lehane's novel is a dark, suspenseful story that will keep you guessing until the end. The Washington Post says of Shutter Island, "It is enough to say that the novel is brilliantly conceived and executed, and that its shocking outcome kept me awake, deep into the night, as I began to grasp what the author had done to my innocent mind -- and he will do it to yours, too, if you let him."