Summer Reading

 I've been working on this sweet stack of books for the last few weeks, and it is bringing me so much joy. I've been compiling a list of books I want to read this summer, pulling some off my shelf, ordering some from Amazon, and buying some from Safeway with the gift card my MOPS girls gave me a few weeks back.  One is from my sister, one from Goodwill, one from my neighbor.  So many books from so many sources that are going to make for some awesome summer reads.

The Blue Bistro by Elin Hilderbrand is one book of hers I haven't read, and I'm so excited to read it.  My sister read it and passed it on to me.  Hilderbrand's books always make the best summer reads!

The Stranger in the Woods by Michael Finkel is about a man who lived alone for twenty seven years in the woods of Maine.  I've heard about it from many fellow readers and can't wait to dive into it.

 We'll Always Have Summer is the third in a trio of books by Jenny Han about a girl in love with a set of brothers.  The first two books were very good and I expect the third to be just as good! 

 East of Eden by John Steinbeck is a book that I wanted to read once I read this: "The birth of Adam's twins brings his wife to the brink of madness, and Adam is left alone to raise his boys to manhood.  One boy thrives, nurtured by the love of all those around ; the other grows up in loneliness enveloped by a mysterious darkness."  I was instantly intrigued, and now I can't wait to read it.

 The Childbury Ladies' Choir by Jennifer Ryan is one that I found at Safeway.  It takes place in World War II, and I am such a sucker for war stories, especially after falling in love with Kristin Hannah's The Nightingale back in March.

 The Alice Network by Kate Quinn is another book about World War II.  It's actually about two different time periods & women, woven together, searching for the truth.  It's another that I feel like everyone has read and I can't wait to get going on!

 The Girl Before by JP Delaney is one I picked up at Costco with my mom.  This is supposed to be a fast-paced, hair-raising, page-turning book about a girl who moves into an interesting new place to live only to discover the girl before her died an untimely death...  Should be a quick & heart pounding read!

 The Story of Arthur Truluv by Elizabeth Berg is one I saw on many of my reading blogs & instagrams.  When I found it at Goodwill I was thrilled.  It's the story of two unlikely people (an old man and a teenager) befriending each other and finding new meaning and a sense of family together.  I think it will be a very meaningful book.

That Kind of Mother by Rumaan Alam starts with Rebecca Stone becoming a mother herself.  When her nanny later gives birth, dying in the process, Rebecca wants to adopt her baby, who is black.  The cover says she is unprepared for what it means to be a white mother of a black son.  I cannot wait to read this one!

I've been looking forward to I'll Be Your Blue Sky by Marisa De Los Santos for months because her book Belong to Me is one of my all time favorites!  I love her writing style, and this book sounds like the perfect summer read-- Clare finds hidden ledgers in the house an elderly woman, Edith, left to her, and the ledgers allow her to piece together Edith's life while simultaneously figuring out what she wants. 

In addition to my stack of ten books, I have four Kindle books that I plan on reading.  These are all books I got on the recommendation of Modern Mrs. Darcy and got great deals on thanks to her ebook deals of the week.  If you follow her Instagram stories, she shares the great ebook deals and you can get kindle books for as little as $1.99!

I've been saving This Is How It Always Is by Laurie Frankel for July book club for months, even though I really want to read it now!  It's about a transgender child & life & parenting & family & is apparently just beautiful writing.

Tell Me Three Things by Julie Buxbaum is about Jessie, whose mother has recently died, father has already remarried and moved her across the country.  

When We Were Worthy by Marybeth Mayhew Whalen is about a small town car accident where three cheerleaders died and the driver thought to be responsible survived.  It's sure to be good!

What To Say Next is also by Julie Buxbaum and I'm super looking forward to it! Kit's dad was in a tragic car accident and no one knows what to say to her except David, an unexpected friend, to say the least.  Together they try to solve the mystery of the accident.

To say I'm excited about my summer reading would be a massive understatement.  I am ecstatic. I cannot wait to dive in, and I hope that some of you will join me!!!

Tell me, what books are you looking forward to reading this summer?

***