July is almost over and I’ve made progress on my summer reading list, plus added a few others. To refresh your memory, click here to see what’s on my agenda: https://emerybodie.com/2026-summer-reading/

Summer Reading

If you recall, Yesteryear was the first novel on my list. This was a Book B*tches selection and let’s just say we had a lively discussion at this meeting. We all felt the same. To read our thoughts on Yesteryear, click here: https://emerybodie.com/book-btches-yesteryear-by-caro-claire-burke/

Pink Sand Summer by Chassity Evans was an easy to digest, fluffy summer beach read. Chassity’s descriptions of Harbour Island and its restaurants, shops, houses and lifestyle had me booking a trip to the Dunmore STAT. No lie. Ben and I will celebrate our 20th wedding anniversary there in the spring and I CANNOT WAIT. Pink Sand Summer is not deep. Everyone is wealthy and beautiful and likable. It’s delicious and light and I read it very quickly.

I deviated from my list to squeeze in The Island Club by Nicola Harrison because it was our July book club novel AND my tennis team also decided to read it. I LOVED this book. It’s set on Balboa in the 1950’s, which I enjoyed. The Island Club is a beach read, but with some meat. Here’s a summary:

1956: On idyllic Balboa Island, just off the California coast, life seems peaceful and welcoming. But when the lives of three women begin to unravel in shockingly different ways, an unlikely friendship―and the game of tennis―may be the only thing that can save them.

Milly Kinkaid’s plan to fix her crumbling marriage seems to be falling apart before it even begins. She believed that moving her young family from Hollywood to Balboa Island might entice her increasingly distant husband to come home earlier after work. Instead, he’s barely coming home at all.

Society matriarch Sylvia Johnson and her husband have been pillars of their community for decades, and have just recently begun a new business venture: The Island Club, a place for members to swim, play tennis and dine in style. But when she learns that he has been risking their financial security and putting their family’s future in grave danger, she’s not only poised to lose the club, but the entire community she holds dear.

Meanwhile, standoffish loner Adele Lambert’s entire world is on the brink of being destroyed if the dark secrets of her past and her hidden identity is revealed. Twenty years ago, she ran from a shameful scandal and left behind the only thing she ever loved. Now, terrified that the anonymity she’s spent decades guarding will be exposed, but desperate to stay afloat, she risks everything to return to the game that brought her to her knees all those years before. 

Set against the sun-drenched beaches of Balboa Island, with its prim and proper 1950s facade, The Island Club is a story of love, loneliness and the lies we tell ourselves―and what can be gained when the truth is finally revealed.

I loved Sylvia and Milly…and even came to like Adele. This story contained a few surprises that kept me reading past bedtime every night. It’s a quick read and a very pretty book. I read this on my Kindle but wish I’d purchased the hardcover because it would look gorgeous on my office bookshelf. What I loved most about this novel is how much the main characters remind me of my own tennis girls. We all started playing after kids and, although some of the friendships are newer, we will all drop everything to help each other. If you play tennis, and especially if you’re on a team, I highly recommend The Island Club. Purchase here: https://amzn.to/4bR3QWW

The Island Club

Which book on my list should I tackle next? I’ve got a few flights next week, so I’ll be reading plenty. Happy Summer!