What I Read This Summer

I always look forward to summer because I have so much more time to read books.  As a librarian, you would think that I read allll the time, but during the school year, I’m pretty tired and ready for bed earlier in the evenings.  That doesn’t leave much time for reading except on the weekends.  I thought I would share what I read this summer in case anyone might be looking for a good read.  I’ll give you fair warning, though.  My tastes and interests in books are all over the place, so these books can span from one extreme to another.

Books I Read This Summer- Fiction

I have to admit that the older I get, it’s pretty tough to find a fiction book that interests me.  However, I read two this summer that was just fantastic!

I loved The Swans of Fifth Avenue by Melanie Benjamin.  It’s a novel based around the mostly true story of Truman Capote and his group of New York socialites he referred to as “his swans” because of how beautiful these women were.  There is gossip, scandal, parties, fashion, and high society living.  It was a truly interesting read, and because I’m a nerd like that, I had to go investigate the back story of Truman Capote and his ultimate and extremely public betrayal of the women he counted as such close friends.  What can I say?  I’m a sucker for socialite and celebutante themed books.

I love cozy fiction stories that center on family and small towns, and When Women Wore Dresses  by Pam Donham Suitt was such a fantastic read!  This book caught my eye because it is set in the 1950s and in rural Arkansas, which is just right across the river from where I live.  This book follows the trials and tribulations of five sisters that make up the Parker family and I seriously hope the author will turn this into a series of books because this was just that good!  At no time did this book ever get boring and several events in the story caught me by surprise and kept me on the edge of my seat!

Books I Read This Summer-Nonfiction

I’m currently taking part in the Seamless Bible Study by Angie Smith online with a group of friends.  A friend created a group on Facebook, we all ordered our books, and we “meet” together live once a week to share what we’ve learned and ask questions and pray for one another.  We’re into Week 2 and already I’ve learned so much.  This is a great Bible study that ties the events of the Bible into an easy to understand chronological order.  Now, you might think to cover the major events in the Bible would be intimidating and very overwhelming, but this is why you need this particular Bible study!  Everything is easily broken down and it’s perfect for no matter where you are in your knowledge about the Bible.  I almost didn’t participate in this, but I’m already so glad I did.

The Art of Southern Charm is a book I found out about while watching those funny Southern Women videos on YouTube.  Apparently, the author, Patricia Altschul, is on a reality series called Southern Charm, but I had never heard of that show because I don’t watch much TV at all.  However, I love a good book about the South and Southern mannerisms and this book was a fun read.

Rachel Hollis is apparently another person in the public eye that I had no idea about (the no-TV thing and all), and her book Girl, Wash Your Face: Stop Believing the Lies About Who You Are so You Can Become Who You Were Meant to Be was recommended in my Bible study group.  It’s a hot seller at our local Christian bookstore, so of course, I had to check it out.  I’m glad I did.  I think every woman struggles with lies we often believe about ourselves and our worth.  This book was refreshing to read because the author isn’t afraid to get very real about these lies.  She then shows the reader how this is false and how we can start overcoming those lies.

School Related

My kid is also required to do summer reading for a couple of grades once he returns to school, so I decided to take the time to also read what he was required to read.  The first book is Among the Hidden by Margaret Peterson Haddix.

This book is set in a futuristic society in which no family is allowed to have more than two children.  The main character, Luke, is known as a “shadow child”.  This is the third child born into a family that has to stay hidden or suffer grave consequences.  My son LOVED this book.  I caught him picking this book up and reading without my prompting.  That is the mark of a great book for him in our home.  Maybe I had my own students in mind while reading this (I work with children up to 5th grade), but I’d definitely reserve this one for the teen crowd (13+).   It deals with themes of death and violence.  This book is part of a series and my son is ready to read the next book.

It’s been forever since I’ve read A Wrinkle in Time, but this is the one we are currently tackling right now.  I remember reading this in 6th grade and absolutely loving it.  I don’t quite think my son is as interested, but hopefully, this will change the further along he gets.

So that’s my hodge-podge of summer reading books.  I’d love to hear what you’ve been reading in the comments.  I’m always looking for more great books to read!