books i heart

I think I have done this recently, but with summer coming, I know everyone (okay, maybe not everyone) is thinking of their summer reading list. Imagining listless days soaking up the rays at the river or beach with their new bff (aka: recent book buy from barnes and noble)... or maybe that's just me.

In any case, here's my list. I love, love, love(!) these books. I have read and re-read many of them. I will warn you that I have been told I like books that have a lot of description. Extra words that, to me, are like little bits of poetry and help me really get into the setting of a book. For others, I guess, it's just fluff. For me, it's like a few clouds on a sunny day- just adds a little extra something to the whole feeling.
Here goes:

Anita Shreve:
Something about the way she writes, just gets me. She takes everyday things, like a pair of boots by the front door, and turns them into poetry. Love her. My favorite novels of hers include (but are not limited to):Sea Glass
This was the first book I read by Shreve, and I was hooked. Honora, the main character, is a twenty year old bride, and the book takes place on the coast (a common theme among my favorites). I desperately wanted to name our daughter Honora after reading this... but Josh vetoed it. Fortune's Rocks
"In the time it takes for her walk from the bathhouse at the seawall to Fortune's Rocks, where she has left her boots and has discreetly pulled off her stockings, to the waterline along which the sea continually licks the pink and silver sand, she learns about desire." First line, and I'm hooked. This book is about the growing up of Olympia, and it is a page turner. (Also, it is located on the coast.)

Body Surfing
This book is about Sydney, who has been once divorced, once widowed, and is a moving novel. I love Shreve's way with words, and this book is no different.

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Ann Brashares:She wrote the Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants
This series is about four friends as they grow into their adolescence/adulthood. (I own all four of those novels). Loved them!
The Last Summer of You and Me
The Last Summer is a heartwrenching novel about two sisters, and let me tell you, I cried a lot of tears. The Last Summer also takes place on the coast, which I love. I'm telling you, read it!

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Ya Ya Sisterhood books by Rebecca Wells
I read these quite a few years ago, but I loved them. I think I should probably re-read them now that I am a mother. They are set in the south, which fascinates me, and follow four best friends through raising their kids, etc.

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The Language of Goodbye by Maribeth Fischer
This book is about a couple who left their previous marriages to be together. An interesting way to start a relationship, let me tell you.

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Belong to Me by Marisa de los Santos
This is another one of those books where the author's writing allows you to fall in love with even the worst characters. My favorite character is Piper, who discovers that you don't need to worry what other people think, you just have to follow your heart. And while that sounds cliche, the manner in which she reaches this decision will have you crying. Bring kleenex.

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The Birth House by Ami Mckay
This book is amazing. Flat out. I love each birth, each new mother, each fight to maintain their choices against modern medicine in the 1900's. Really good book. (Also near the coast!)

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Barefoot by Elin Hilderbrand
If I had to pick {one favorite}, this would be it. Should you choose to read it, bring tissue. And lots of it. This novel is about three friends, each at a personal crossroads, who together share a quaint beach house for the summer. As it shifts character to character, you can't turn the pages fast enough to get to the next person, and the next person. I enjoyed it particularly because when I was reading it, my boys were the same age as the baby Vicki has. And I loved how accurately Hilderbrand described the baby at that stage.

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The Way Life Should Be by Christina Baker Kline
I read this book recently and recommend it to anyone who feels they are not living their life. The main character decides (after being fired) to do the unthinkable and follow her heart to a remote island in Maine (Yes, another oceanside book!). The novel makes you realize that you, too, could be doing more to make your life your own. I loved it.

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What Remains by Carole Radziwill
It will give you the life perspective you need. She lost her husband and two best friends. Everything. In less than one year. Yet she still has hope. She is inspiring. (Note: She was married to John Kennedy's cousin.) Bring tissue for this one, too. {Did I mention this is non-fiction?}

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B-Mother by Maureen O'Brien
I just read this one and it was a really accurate portrayal of pregnancy, and what I assume it would be like to give your child up for adoption. It was a page turner. (I have found that a lot of my books are about children, mothers & birth, as well as the ocean.)

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About Twins:
One and the Same by Abigail Pogrebin.
This book is, hands down, the best one out there. And I should know. I have read plenty of twin books.

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About over eating, weight loss & living life to your fullest:
Women, Food & God
by Geneen Roth
I've said it before, and I'll say it again. This book gave me my life back. I am feeling my feelings, making my choices and living my life for the first time in a long time. And it feels so amazing.

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So there you have it, my all time best book list.
Happy reading, friends!