I consume books like I consume sweets- I cannot get enough. Physical books, books on audio, mysteries, historical fiction, romance… I do not discriminate. One of my favorite pastimes is reading a book that takes place in an area I am visiting. It adds a whole new layer to the trip! I get a thrill every time I see a landmark, recognize a street name, or even eat in a sandwich shop that I have read about in my book!
Here are a few of my favorite places and the books I hove read before or while I was there!
Visiting Block Island, RI?
Here’s what to read when you go!
The Islanders by Meg Mitchel Moore was the perfect book to read while lounging on the lawn chars of the Spring House Hotel or basking in the sun on one of the many Block Island beaches. I was instantly drawn in by the relatable characters, and the unlikely friendship that blooms between this trio.
Anthony Puckett is running away from a crumbling career as a writer, a marriage that is falling apart, and a son whom he loves more than life. Following the release of a blockbuster first book, Anthony makes a terrible decision that sends him reeling into a depression and forces him into a self-induced exile.
Joy Sousa has managed to raise her daughter and run her whoopi pie business after a divorce sent her to the safe shelter of a tiny island with a year round population smaller than some high schools. Her summer is upended by some unexpected competition and an even more unexpected romance.
Lu Trusdale is the mother of two young boys, the wife of an oft-absent surgeon, and a woman with a big secret. When her in-laws spring for a summer house on a tiny remote New England island, she struggles to keep her secret hidden and still follow her passion.
Over the course of the summer, these three strangers will converge on little Block Island and their lives will intersect in unexpected, humorous, and surprising ways that will keep you turning the pages to the very last word. This is a feel-good book that has a bit of everything - friendship, romance, drama, humor, and a few surprises. I loved it. The fact that I bought it on Block Island at the bookstore mentioned in the book made it so much more fun to read! As I explored the island, I couldn’t help but point out the street names I recognized from the book and visit some of the attractions sprinkled into the story. You will love this book regardless, but I highly recommend packing this one of you are planning a trip to charming Block Island
Visiting Newport, RI?
The Lost Summers of Newport by Beatriz Williams, Lauren Willig and Karen White
1899: Meet Ellen. She is hired as a music teacher for the young and naive Maybelle Sprague, the mining heiress who resides at Sprague Hall with her despicable step brother, John. Ellen has a secret past and is looking for a safe place to create a new life and a new identity. She gets more than she bargained for while becoming embroiled in the family affairs at her new employer's mansion.
1957: Lucky is the granddaughter of the American-born Princess di Conti who fled Mussolini’s Italy to return to Newport's Sprague Hall with her beloved Nona. Lucky is married to the spoiled, drunken Stu but secretly loves another. The mysteries she uncovers at Sprague Hall will dictate the choices she makes for the rest of her life. Her story offers a glimpse at the lifestyle of the elite "old money" of Newport that is less than appealing.
2019: Andie has finally landed a much-needed job as the host of the show Makeover Mansion. While her heart belongs to historic restoration and preservation, she finds the fate of the show rests more on ratings and salacious storytelling. Andie soon realizes that the mansion holds more than rotting floorboards and chipping paint. Old family secrets and unsolved mysteries (along with some romance) begin to unveil themselves throughout the filming of Makeover Mansion.
While at times a bit confusing, the three storylines eventually weave together to reveal a surprising and satisfying answer to the mysteries that have haunted the infamous Sprague Hall for generations. I certainly enjoyed this more because I was visiting Newport at the time of my reading this, making the details and descriptions of Newport's "cottages", inhabitants, and beautiful but rough seas come to life in a whole new way!
Spending the day in SALEM?
The Heretic's Daughter, by Kathleen Kent, is a haunting historical fiction novel set in late 1600s Andover, a neighboring town to Salem Village, where the infamous Salem Witch Trials took place in 1692. While one might pick this book up looking for a fittingly spooky read for autumn, they will soon realize this story was much more. The Heretic's Daughter has everything a reader would look for in a good historical fiction book - a riveting plot line, complex characters, and a unique point of view (in this case, the story unfolds from the perspective of Sarah Carrier, a nine-year-old girl and the daughter of Martha Carrier, who was tried and hanged for witchcraft in 1692). Kent's writing ebbs and flows in a way that made sense for the time period, but was still accessible to a modern-day reader. She embodies the perspective of a child enduring truly heinous conditions, even when she doesn't quite understand what is going on in her community. With all of that said, the real way this book shined was in portraying the true horrors of the Salem Witch Trials, an event often only brought up as a piece of scary New England legend come October. In reality, this event was a tragedy, the effects of which would end almost thirty lives and haunt entire bloodlines for generations to come. The Heretic's Daughter is a great read for anyone looking for a riveting piece of historical fiction, or anyone interested in learning more about the devastating impact of mass hysteria in Salem in the late 1600s.
Reviewed by Emmie J. Kelly