Summer Reading List


Offprint London
by assistant editor Dana Grimaldi

One month ago—June 3—I’d just come back from my first trip overseas…and I was hobbling around the apartment. Who would’ve thought that dragging a suitcase full of clothes and books and a carry-on also filled with books could give a person neck strain?

In my defense, London and Paris have so many amazing book stores, I couldn’t help myself! Even the art galleries conspired to build my To-Be-Read pile. The Tate Modern was holding Offprint London, a publishing fair that features books of photography.

I also went to Le Monte en l'Air, a bookstore that features zines, comics, literature, photography and lots more. That’s where I found The 1000 Journals Project. In Un Regard Moderne, another bookstore in Paris, books are stacked floor to ceiling. You have to be careful while browsing and making your way down the narrow aisles! (I’m happy to say I only caused one near avalanche.)
Le Monte en l'Air (left) and Un Regard Moderne (right)
 

At Comptoir de l'Image I found an issue of Vogue from 1953 (see, dachshunds have always been in fashion!) and I even bought a book at a videogame store, Retrogame Shop. (If anyone needs help navigating Super Mario 3, let me know!) 

Fortunately, I can read this month’s new Heartwarming books without having to lift a finger (well, except to click download). Starting this month, all four Heartwarming titles will be available as a digital box set
I can’t wait for readers to check out July’s new books. Once Upon a Friendship by Tara Taylor Quinn is the first book in a new miniseries set in Colorado, called The Historic Arapahoe. Man of the Family by Leigh Riker tells the story of a single dad who falls for an over-worked lawyer. Leigh’s book just happens to be the 100th Heartwarming title—a milestone we’re all excited about! Sailing in Style by Dana Mentink is the second book in the Love by Design miniseries. Dana tells the story of Cy Franco, who has to renovate a historic paddle boat while dealing with the woman who broke his heart. The Hardest Fight by Amy Vastine is another reunion romance, and it’s the final book in the Chicago Sisters trilogy.

Summer is a wonderful season for reading, and thanks to my trip and the amazing, talented, endlessly creative Heartwarming authors, I’ve got lots of great books to look forward to.

I’d love to hear about your summer reading list. Is there a particular book you’ve been saving for the warm weather?

Best wishes,
Dana

Comments

  1. What an incredible trip, Dana! Love the bookstore photos :). Especially the old, historic look of Un Regard Moderne.

    And mega congrats to Heartwarming and to Leigh on the 100th! So cool that it's on the cover!

    Looking forward to all the books! Here's to digital box sets!

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  2. What a wonderful trip, Dana! The neck strain sounds worth it ;) I love to buy antique books- but then I'm too afraid to read them in case I hurt the spine! lol. This month's line up sounds amazing! I'm especially excited for them to be offered in a box set. Congratulations to Tara, Leigh, Dana and Amy :)

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  3. Dana, your trip sounds fabulous, but sorry that you pulled a muscle. Those book stores must be awesome. I subscribe to Heartwarming so they always come together, but the digital boxed set sounds like something a lot of readers will like. How great that Leigh has the 100th book. I still prefer paperback books, so I spend at least a few days every month at our local B & N picking up reading material. I read a lot during our monsoon storms since I generally shut down my computer. I just finished the June Heartwarming books so am looking forward to the July books.

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    1. I still read paperbacks, too, but I love my ereader. Being able to adjust the font size is the best!

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  4. Dana - love your photos. If you invite me along next time, I'd be thrilled to carry your purchases for you. I'm a strong woman with a wide center of gravity. I'm currently on a Kristan Higgins kick. The glider on my front porch is perfect for summer reading. (glider, the swing - not glider, the plane.) Happy weekend.

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    1. Thanks, Muriel! The glider on your front porch sounds like the perfect spot for summer reading. :)

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  5. Dana - love your photos. If you invite me along next time, I'd be thrilled to carry your purchases for you. I'm a strong woman with a wide center of gravity. I'm currently on a Kristan Higgins kick. The glider on my front porch is perfect for summer reading. (glider, the swing - not glider, the plane.) Happy weekend.

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  6. Your trip sounds wonderful! Sorry about the injured neck, though. A friend's mother modeled for Vogue way back in the day. I love going to museums. And the books this month...my TBR pile is taller than my house! But I'll be off my feet and away from the computer for a few days later this month and hope to put a dent in it.

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  7. What a wonderful trip! I'm excited about the buy3/get1 deal. I shared the link of FB

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  8. What a great trip! Thanks for sharing your beautiful photos, Dana. I hope your neck is feeling better.
    As soon as I submit by Blurb2Book (completed-YAY) manuscript to LI, I'll be settling in with this terrific box set.

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    1. Jill, contact me at lbrwriter@ gmail.com. You won a copy of Man of the Family yesterday.

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    2. Thank you so much, Leigh. I look forward to reading Man of the Family.

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    3. Thanks, Jill. And best of luck with your submission!

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  9. What amazing photos from your trip. The Vogue page with the dog is so fun. In pre-ereader days, I used to pack half a suitcase full of paperbacks and trade or abandon them as I traveled, making room for souvenirs. Now my library fits into my purse, but I have no extra suitcase capacity.

    It's exciting to hear about the box set. I love a bargain!

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    1. Even with my ereader, I still brought a few paperbacks--you never know when there might be a technical glitch. :)

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  10. Eeee, Dana, this entire post brought back fond memories of writing my Heartwarming title, The Paris Connection. So jealous of your awesome trip (and all the books you brought back!) :)

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    1. Thanks, Cerella. The Paris Connection has one of my favorite Heartwarming covers! (http://www.harlequin.com/storeitem.html?iid=50786&cid=3302)

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  11. I'm laughing about Super Mario 3. We hooked up my husband old play station 2 (redecorated Mike's room while he was at camp). Then, we headed to gamestop to buy some games.
    Oops. PlayStation 2 is obsolete. We couldn't even buy a used game. So, I asked for a Mario game for our Xbox. Nope, Mario is Nintendo only. We left the game store with nada. Except the desire to find a used PlayStation 4 for sale. LOL
    I love old magazines.

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    1. If you ever find a good used game store, please please please try a game called Katamari Damacy. It's one of my favorites, and it is for the Playstation 2. (Maybe on ebay?)

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  12. It must have been a fantastic trip, Dana! Thank you for sharing the pictures.

    Congratulations to the ladies with the July releases, and especially Leigh with the 100th book!

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  13. I am so envious. Love London and Paris! An endless (and moveable, according to Hemingway) feast. Hope your neck is better. Love the new boxed set.

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    1. Thanks, Leigh! That saying makes me think of Borough Market, and all the delicious pies!

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  14. Love the pictures!! Now that I broke down and bought a Kindle E-reader I am happy about the Heartwarming boxed sets. Thanks to these lovely Heartwarming ladies I have MANY paperbacks on my TBR list. I'm also looking forward to reading the book The Lost Garden by one of my favorite authors, Katharine Swartz (a.k.a. Kate Hewitt).

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    1. Thanks, Laurie! I hope you love your ereader as much as I love mine!

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  15. Dana, I love these photos! It reminds me of when I was there. Sigh. Just too, too long ago. Next time you go, can I tag along? Seriously, it must have been wonderful ---all those "finds" you brought back. Thanks for sharing it with us. We can dream.

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