Books to read before the end of summer: The Checklist, The Portrait of a Mirror

Just because the Dog Days of August are here it doesn’t mean that you can’t enjoy a good book on the beach or at the pool, or perhaps in your favorite chair while you’re relaxing with a cocktail. There are a lot of great books out there and Addie Woolridge’s The Checklist and A. Natasha Joukovsky’s The Portrait of a Mirror are books that should be on your To Be Read list.

When it comes to books, one of my favorite things is to pick up a new story and be transported away from reality. Bonus points if you pick books that are diametrically opposed to each other, which happens to be the case with The Checklist and The Portrait of a Mirror.

One is a witty and charming rom-com while the other lies somewhere between satire and parable about two couples that you wouldn’t want to be friends with but would want to know.

The Checklist, by Addie Woolridge

The Checklist ticks off all of the boxes. Dylan Delacroix is having the epitome of a no good, very bad day that just keeps going and going.

You know when you’re a rockstar at work and your boss doesn’t like that you’re taking his spotlight? That’s where Dylan’s story begins, and as a “reward” for her good work she’s being sent to the last place she wants to go: Home. Dylan grew up in Seattle and it’s where her eccentric family lives and she tries to stay away as much as she’s able, but Seattle is where Technocore is based and their CEO needs Dylan’s consulting skills to keep him from yet another PR disaster.

As soon as she gets to the family home she’s pulled into her family’s war with the neighbors. Her family has a giant tiger statue in the front yard. The neighbors have lights so bright you could spot the house from Venus.

The only upside to her return is reuniting with Mike, the neighbors’ son that Dylan grew up with. She’s been gone so long she had no idea he grew up to be so handsome and charming and nice…and the complete opposite of her longtime boyfriend Nicolas.

It doesn’t take long for Dylan’s carefully ordered world to start crashing down, but it’s the people there to help her pick up the pieces that matter the most.

Woolridge creates vibrant characters that have so much depth you’d swear you’ve met them before. From Dylan’s eclectic parents to Mike’s moms with their high-powered security lights, these are people you can relate to. Dylan is trying to do the right thing and she’s thwarted at every turn. You’re rooting for her, but you’re also feeling terrible for her as every decision has the opposite effect.

The Checklist is the perfect book to enjoy on a warm summer day or while you’re curled up on the couch as the weather gets colder. No matter where you read it, it will leave you with a smile on your face.

The Portrait of a Mirror, by A. Natasha Joukovsky

Joukovsky’s debut novel is a brilliant, dark story of two young couples who have everything going for them, but it’s never enough. The Portrait of a Mirror is a modern twist on the all-too familiar tale of Narcissus, painted through the lens of intrigue and infidelity, technology and passion.

Wes and Diana are that couple. You know their type. They’re the young New York couple that has it all. They grew up with silver spoons and they’re everything you want to be. Wes founded a tech company and Diana is a talented architect who is working on a huge project in Philadelphia. On paper and in society columns they’re a power couple but behind closed doors they’re two people existing in very different places.

Vivien and Dale float in the same circles as Wes and Diana but they’re nowhere close to the same league. Their wedding is coming up but work pulls Dale away to a project with new partner Diana while Vivien ends up as the visiting curator of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, where she crosses paths with Wes.

The two couples find themselves seeing things in each other that are missing in their own relationships and they begin a dangerous dance to get what they what from each other despite the risks it poses to themselves and their significant others. But if they’re all a bit guilty, then does it matter?

The Portrait of a Mirror is not light reading. The story draws you in like a spider enticing a fly into its web and once you’re hooked you’re hooked. This is the kind of story that will keep you up at night pondering what’s going to happen next because there’s no way that’s going to happen…until it does.

Joukovsky’s haunting prose pairs beautifully with her sharp and witty dialogue. Her well crafted characters occupy richly curated lives and personal histories that weave together in fascinating ways. The Portrait of a Mirror stays with you long after you’ve read it and it’s the kind of book you pass along when you’re finished so you can keep talking about it over and over again.

Both The Checklist and The Portrait of a Mirror are available now.