What I’m Reading This Summer

I’ve noticed a stumbling block in my effort to read more. When I finish a book, I lose some time – days even – while I’m trying to decide what to read next.

It’s not for a lack of ideas: I have plenty of possibilities saved to this Pinterest board, and I have lots of unread books on my real life bookshelves and my Kindle. But I still have a hard time settling down and picking the next book.

Inspired by all the summer reading lists that are floating around (and Eileen’s comment on this post), I decided to create my own personal summer reading list that will (hopefully) guide me from one book to the next with a minimum of reading downtime.

I started the list with the books that my big book club and my smaller book group have picked for the summer (that was the easy part). Then I added in some personal picks to round things out.

Here is what my summer reading list looks like for now through the end of August.

Personal Picks

Faithful Place by Tana French

Tana French is an Irish mystery writer whose books I enjoy, but it’s been a while since I’ve picked one up. This the book that I’m currently reading and it sucked me right in.

From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler by E.L. Konigsburg

This was my favorite book as a kid and I’m re-reading it in anticipation of a trip to New York. If all goes as planned, I’ll get to check off an item on my places to go and things to do list.

Sunset Beach by Mary Kay Andrews

Many of MKA’s books are set in beach towns, including this one, so I’m saving it for a family trip to Florida in July.

Summer of 69 by Elin Hilderbrand

I buy Elin’s latest book every summer. I don’t even think about…I just do it, because she never disappoints. Summer of 69 is being described as her first historical novel. I guess 1969 is historical now?

Big Book Club

You can read more about the big book club here and see our entire reading list for the year here.

The Story of Arthur Truluv by Elizabeth Berg

The publisher calls this “an emotionally powerful novel about three people who each lose the one they love most, only to find second chances where they least expect them.”

Lilac Girls by Martha Hall Kelly

A World War II novel that tells the story of a New York socialite, a Polish teenager, and a German doctor, and how their lives connect. It’s been described as harrowing, compelling, moving, and memorable. It’s also inspired by a true story.

Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens

Amazon describes Where the Crawdads Sing as “an exquisite ode to the natural world, a heartbreaking coming-of-age story, and a surprising tale of possible murder.” It’s also on everyone’s list of best books of 2018.

Small Book Group

I’m proud of the variety of my small (just four of us) book group’s picks for the summer: there’s non-fiction and memoir (which we read a lot of) but also a novel and even short stories.

The Happiness Advantage: How a Positive Brain Fuels Success in Work and Life by Shawn Achor

The author spent 12 years at Harvard researching happiness and this book science and principles behind the discovery that happiness fuels success, and not the other way around.

Uncommon Type: Some Stories by Tom Hanks

A collection of short stories by Tom Hanks. (Yes, that Tom Hanks.)

Inheritance: A Memoir of Genealogy, Paternity and Love by Dani Shapiro

The author sends in her DNA for analysis, like so many of us are doing, and discovers that her father wasn’t her biological father. It sounds like fiction, but it’s a true story. I see this book mentioned everywhere and Dani Shapiro is an excellent writer. I’m looking forward to it.

Mr. Penumbra’s 24-Hour Bookstore by Robin Sloan

A former web designer takes a job at a San Francisco bookstore and soon discovers that everything is not as it seems. Amazon calls it a “literary adventure story” and promises “global conspiracy, complex code-breaking, high-tech data visualization, young love, rollicking adventure, and the secret to eternal life.”

What are you reading this summer?

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