I am an avid reader and while winter is made for curling up with a book under a quilt, summer is made for stretching out with a book on a towel.
I don't know what it is about summer, but I never want to read anything too complicated -- I want something that sucks me through, that's easy to read -- a true beach read. Here are my suggestions for summer reads for this June.
memoirs: I am a memoir junkie. There's something about reading people's true stories that resonates with me. Here are a few of my faves:
- The Glass Castle by Jeanette Walls. A heart-wrenching memoir by a journalist that had a less-than-normal upbringing.
- Bossypants by Tina Fey. If you haven't read this laugh-out-loud memoir, do it. Seriously.
- Same Kind of Different as Me by Ron Hall. A story of a relationship between a wealthy man and homeless man that creates beautiful change in both.
- Confessions of a Latter Saint Virgin by Nicole Hardy. I read this without expecting much-- it is fascinating look at Nicole's dealing with her faith, but I walked away from it loving her style of writing. Her skill in telling a story makes me want to write, and that is a gift.
Feel good chicklit: You know what I'm talking about -- the mindless reads that don't involve too much brain power.
- A Vintage Affair by Isabel Wolff. A girl starts a vintage dress shop in England. Despite its premise of running a dress shop, it's more about relationships than anything. Definitely the best kind of good reads. (I also suggest Wolff's other book, "Behaving Badly.")
- Goodnight June by Sarah Jio. The back story of "Good Night Moon." A quick and easy read and set in Seattle, which makes me love it more. (Jio has a number of good, easy reads-- I suggest any of them.)
- Starstruck by Rachel Shukart. A story about Hollywood in the 1930s. Totally an easy, fun read. The only bummer is that it's first in a series, and only two of the books are out!
Moving reads: Sometimes you need a story that hits you right.there.
- Songs of Willow Frost by Jamie Ford. Gut-wrenching story about an Asian American orphan at the turn of the century. (I also heard this could be turning into a movie-- so read it now!)
- Saving CeeCee Honeycut by Beth Honeycutt. Upbeat story about relationships between family-- especially women in the family, when a young girl loses her mom to mental illness and moves in with her great-aunt.
- Labor Day by Joyce Maynard. I think this a movie-- out now? -- but this was a moving book about a woman and her son who take in an inmate for the weekend.
These are just a few of my suggestions! I also have quite a list of books to read, but I always love hearing more titles. If you're so inclined, share them in the comments. :)
xo, erika
p.s. if you're looking for book suggestions, I recommend Good Reads! You can find me on
there.
.JPG)
