What I'm Reading This Summer (2015) ... A List

It's nearly time to break out the summer books. The Wright Academy is cruising toward the end of our official school year and all of us are eager to "read for fun" after a long year of "read for learning." I spent some quiet moments listing a few books that I wanted to read in the coming months of summer and I thought I'd share some fun finds.

The Nightingale ~ a few months ago a friend texted, "Are you going to read The Nightingale?" I admitted to her that it had not even been on my radar. Well, it's on my radar now. I was reading the Big Mama blog earlier this week in which she asked her readers for suggestions for good summer reading. The Nightingale was hailed as THE book to read by what seemed 80% of the commenters. It has over 5000 five star review at last count. One reader said that this book was so good that since finishing it she had as yet been unable to enjoy any other book. That's a book I want to read, even at the risk of the book slump that may follow.

Go Set A Watchman ~ Have you heard that a second book has been discovered which was written by Harper Lee, author of To Kill a Mockingbird? "Whooo hooooooo," I say. Sign me up. It will, of course be necessary to reread To Kill a Mockingbird before hand just to get into the spirit of the whole event, don't you think? Perhaps I'll listen to it. The audio version, read by Sissy Spacek is supposed to be the gold standard in audio books.

Flash: The Homeless Donkey Who Taught Me about Life, Faith, and Second Chances ~ I first saw Flash peeking out at me from the Publisher's Weekly summer booklist and was pleasantly surprised to discover that the book is endorsed by some of my favorite blogger/authors Sophie Hudson and Melanie Shankle. Melanie writes of Flash, "This book made me laugh at Flash's antics and cry as I identified with the lessons he has taught her family about the way God loves us and sees us." Honestly though, this one had me with the cover alone! I've already begun reading it and I'm confident that it's going to live up to its reviews.

Emma ~ I attempted my first Jane Austen book many years ago and abandoned it 1/3 of the way through. I liked it a lot but other books worked their way into my world and I forgot all about Emma. Meg so enjoyed reading Pride and Prejudice for school last year that she suggested we read Emma together this summer. How could I say no? Plus Alexander McCall Smith has just published a modern-day Emma and I'd like to read the original and then the new one.

Until the Harvest ~ "I'm going to give this a try," I said to my Man holding this book in his view, "even though I've been a bit snobbish about..." 

"...books?" he sorta joked.

"...about Christian fiction." I finished. Over the years I'd grown weary of the genre but the blurb at the top of the cover drew me in and then I read the first chapter and the setting was in my home state and... I hope this book lives up to its cover.

While we are discussing Christian fiction...

Church Ladies ~ was a book I read years ago (before my Christian fiction cool off) and can still remember the feeling of. It's about a pastor's wife in particular and the women who surround her all of whom have pasts to deal with and  futures to face. I'd call it Christian fiction with an edge. I plan to read more of Lisa Samson's work this summer starting with, appropriately...

Quaker Summer ~ Reviews say... "Unlike many Christian novelists, Samson does not tidily resolve every single problem her heroine faces, but instead paints an emotionally and spiritually luminous portrait of a soul beckoned by God." 

Life from Scratch ~ My Man found this in the bookstore this evening and was pretty sure I'd be all over it. He was Wright, as usual ;-). The author, it seems, set out to cook dishes from around the world but somewhere along the way the story of her life came to the forefront in a fashion reminiscent, says one review, of "The Glass Castle but with more food. And not just any food: We're talking cinnamon raisin pizza."  Plus... that cover makes me hungry for pie.

Bon Appe´tempt: A Coming of Age Story (with Recipes!)~ It's a memoir with recipes and pictures of food magazines and cookbooks on the front...the subtitle might as well have been "buy me now Gretchen Wright." I'm already a bit charmed by the authors voice and the reviews promise a bit of humor which is always welcome.

To balance the humor, I've decided to read the book that seems to be popping up on podcasts and on blogs and everywhere I look...

The Girl On the Train ~ the book most likely to creep me out and completely counteract my melatonin. It's a book of suspense that is purportedly "un-put-down-able." 

 “Nothing is more addicting than The Girl on the Train.”—Vanity Fair

“The Girl on the Train has more fun with unreliable narration than any chiller since Gone Girl. . . . [It] is liable to draw a large, bedazzled readership.”—The New York Times

An addicting chiller with an unreliable narrator...here goes nothin'!

Finally...the book I wish I'd not yet read so that I can read it again for the first time...

The Blue Castle ~ You may recognize the author as the writer of the Anne of Green Gables books but The Blue Castle (1.99 for Kindle) is not a children's story...it is an old fashioned story that holds it value even today. I read this slim book quickly over the last two days because of its heroine Valancy. 

Amazon.com says: Valancy lives a drab life with her overbearing mother and prying aunt. Then a shocking diagnosis from Dr. Trent prompts her to make a fresh start. For the first time, she does and says exactly what she feels. As she expands her limited horizons, Valancy undergoes a transformation, discovering a new world of love and happiness. One of Lucy Maud Montgomery's only novels intended for an adult audience, The Blue Castle is filled with humour and romance. 

Many recommendations of this book tout it as a favorite and often the reviews said that they read it over and over. I'm not a re-reader normally, but this one would certainly be early on my list if I were to begin rereading my favorites.