Summertime Reading — Share Your Recommendations!

by Katy on June 11, 2013 · 104 comments

The Next Big Thing

I know that I logically have no more free time during summer months, and realistically I probably have less time to read as the kids tend to be underfoot. But that doesn’t mean that I don’t consider June, July and August to be the perfect months for cracking open a book and shutting out all distraction.

I’m in the middle of reading Jennifer Weiner’s The Next Big Thing right now, which I plucked from the library’s Lucky Day shelf, as Weiner’s novels never fail me. I have three weeks to finish the book, (although I’m zipping right through it, as it is true perfection!) And when I finish this book, I have Overdressed: The Shockingly High Price of Cheap Fashion waiting for me at the library.

Because I like to always be reading a book, and I like to have a fresh book at the ready as well.

I’m greedy that way.

And if I’m laying it all my cards on the table at once, this is what I like prefer demand:

  1. A current novel.
  2. A new novel on the sidelines.
  3. A non-fiction book.
  4. A gripping audiobook.

The quatrafecta! (Is that a word? If not, I decree it so!)

I know I am not alone in my reading peculiarities. Just yesterday a Neonatologist at work joined into a conversation about how much I hate eBooks, (I need to physically leaf through a book) and started waxing poetically about the smell of paper books. And this was from a man who normally cannot be paid to say “boo” to me, even though I once took care of his wife in labor!

People love their books!

I love asking friends for recommendations, even though I often forget who by the time the books come in at the library. So here I am asking of you:

What books do you recommend? These books can be on any subject, big or small, old or new. They just need to be something you have read and loved. Please share your suggestions in the comments section below.

Katy Wolk-Stanley

“Use it up, wear it out, make it do or do without.”

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{ 104 comments… read them below or add one }

Tina Barrett June 11, 2013 at 10:33 am

I swear by Saving CeeCee Honeycutt by Beth Hoffman. Excellent read. I also prefer tangible books over e books. Love the smell of books and the feel of the paper between my fingers when I turn the pages!

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Rubymay1029 June 11, 2013 at 12:06 pm

I loved that book! I love the smell and feel of real books, but am such a voracious reader that I also love my ereader. Libraries close, but I can browse the stacks on my ereader any time of the day or night. I found I have enough room in my heart to love both.

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Diane June 12, 2013 at 4:18 am

Oh yes…Reading Cee Cee Honeycutt is an experience of laughter and tears. The stories within the story and the characters are a treasure. One of the best books ever! Also, the new one by Beth Hoffman, Looking For Me, just as rich and enthralling!

I do love books, but also have a deep desire for a Kindle Fire.

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Amy Rumberger June 11, 2013 at 10:45 am

Recently read “Major Pettigrew’s Last Stand” and LOVED it. Hope they make a movie! Just finished “Ender’s Game” (teen sci-fi) in anticipation of that film’s release later this year. Interesting book…but troubling. Currently reading “The Language of Flowers” (contemporary fiction set in San Francisco) and the jury is out on this one. Can’t tell yet where it’s going. Looking forward to reading the comments on this one.

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Trish June 11, 2013 at 2:30 pm

I read ‘Major Pettigrew’s Last Stand’ recently also, and I loved it too. I got several books from what is known as ‘The Bloomsbury Group’, a group of British authors who published in the early part of the 20th century. Some of the books I love include “Henrietta’s War’ and sequel ‘Henrietta sees it through’, ‘The Village’, and ‘The Provincial Lady’ series.

I also read ‘French kids eat everything’ and it was quite revealing – boy do we get food culture ALL wrong. Interestingly, Amy Dacyczyn’s method of getting her kids to eat- her infamous ‘War and Peas’ article, is very similar to the French way. It may seem harsh to Americans, but if you end up a healthy adult who never binges on fritos and cheetos, it’s worth it.

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Queen Lucia June 12, 2013 at 8:57 am

I also loved Major Pettigrew’s Last Stand and highly recommend it! You might also like Miss Hargreaves by Frank Baker. And if you haven’t explore Persephone Books, you should – lost gems of British lit, primarily by women. Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day is a great one (what is it with these Pettigrews?)

And Katy, if you like Jennifer Weiner, you should give Joshilyn Jackson a try.

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Jenny June 12, 2013 at 10:11 am

Loved Language of Flowers!

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Carla June 11, 2013 at 10:58 am

For your non-fiction: An Everlasting Meal by Tamar Adler. A wonderful book for people who love words and who love food, as I think you do. Neither cookbook nor report, it is a treatise about loving your food and cooking with love and abandon without stressing over utter precision.

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Jenny June 11, 2013 at 11:08 am

If you liked An Everlasting Meal, try Jam Today by Tod Davies.

My two most recent favorite reads:
And the Mountains Echoed, the new book by Khaled Hosseini
Quiet, the book bout introverts

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tonya June 12, 2013 at 5:07 am

Loved Quiet!

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Lisa June 12, 2013 at 1:51 pm

I loved Jam Today so much that after reading the library copy I bought a copy and have read it a couple times since. Other great nonfiction titles — Farm City by Novella Carpenter, and any of Amy Stewart’s books Wicked Plants, Wicked Bugs, the Drunken Botanist.

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Vivian June 11, 2013 at 11:14 am

Katy if you love historical English fiction I can recommend anything by Philippa Gregory. I also love reading guide books on anything natural (wild life, plants, rocks etc.) we are going to come across on our camping trips. They are so great to look back at and refer to for those interesting tidbits that make a vacation memorable. I also love reading cook books and gardening books. The last book I read was by Marsha Clark who prosecuted O.J. Simpson. I’m pretty neutral about this book.

I love books that being said my overdues at the Library are so high I have to make a payment on it or I will not have the privilege of borrowing. So that leaves me with not many recommendations from recent readings, however does anyone have suggestions for free ebooks? Are there ways of buying an ebook and sharing? I not up on these things. As far as real books they are the best. You can read them on the beach there is no need for electricity to read and they can be lent our or borrowed very easily.

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Kit June 11, 2013 at 12:32 pm

Our library also has an ebook section as well as a link to 100 monthly magazines and now just added language studies. The great thing about checking out an ebook, it naturally expires and you don’t have to return physically to the library, all is done online on their catalog page. You should inquire at your library about the same.

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Penelope June 11, 2013 at 2:40 pm

Vivian,

Two sites with free ebooks are http://www.ereader.com and http://www.ereaderiq.com
ereader.com has a facebook page as well. She usually updates her freebies list on a daily basis.

If anyone is interested in free audiobooks, http://www.audiobooksync.com/free-sync-downloads/ offers two free downloads every week or every other week throughout the summer. They also offer a reminder through text message.

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Katy June 11, 2013 at 7:55 pm

I think I’ve read 3 or 4 Phillipa Gregory books. Love her!

Katy

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Stephanie June 11, 2013 at 11:19 am

Two recent favorites are The Fault in Our Stars by John Green (we bought this one new, I admit, but he is a local author) and The Elegance of the Hedgehog by Muriel Barbery.

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Jessica June 11, 2013 at 2:20 pm

Did you hear they are creating a film of his book? It will be the first one of his books made into film though they were all optioned. I’m looking forward to it. I really enjoyed TFIOS as well!

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Janna June 11, 2013 at 11:20 am

These are my favorite books. They are fun and light, while still being really well written and thought provoking –
The Year of Living Famously by Laura Caldwell
Where’d you go Bernadette? by Liane Moriarty
Wild by Cheryl Strayed
And When She Was Good by Laura Lippman

Oh and two books by Portland authors that take place in Portland that are brilliant –
The Invisible Girls by Sarah Thebarge
A Simple Machine, Like the Lever by Evan Schneider

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Jenny June 12, 2013 at 10:14 am

Bernadette was fun…she did a great job of skewering Seattle and the Microsoft culture.

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dusty June 13, 2013 at 2:25 am

I loved wild and laura lippman is one of my favorite authors

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Lori from Michigan June 11, 2013 at 12:07 pm

Ah, books. Real books. My recent reads: Wolf Hall and Bring Up The Bodies by Hilary Mantel (about Cromwell in the time of Henry VIII – both brilliantly written), and after them, for something completely different, I read Who I Am by Pete Townshend. It was more restrained than I expected, not too many wild stories. I also recently read Quiet by Susan Cain, which I really appreciated as a true-blue member of the crew.

Next on my list: The Woman Upstairs by Claire Messud (intriguing NPR blurb about it), and The Round Table by Louise Erdrich, who is a terrific, intelligent writer. I’m also eying some classic stuff. Want to sink my teeth into Virginia Woolf and Hemingway. Read on!

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Roanne June 11, 2013 at 2:44 pm

The Woman Upstairs was fabulous!

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Queen Lucia June 12, 2013 at 9:00 am

I also loved Major Pettigrew’s Last Stand and highly recommend it! You might also like Miss Hargreaves by Frank Baker. And if you haven’t explore Persephone Books, you should – lost gems of British lit, primarily by women. Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day is a great one (what is it with these Pettigrews?)

And Katy, if you like Jennifer Weiner, you should give Joshilyn Jackson a try.

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Laura June 11, 2013 at 12:14 pm

For your non-fiction selection, I highly recommend Breasts: A Natural and Unnatural History, by Florence Williams. It’s informative, entertaining and really well-written.

Another really good non-fiction book is Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can’t Stop Talking, by Susan Cain.

As for novels, I enjoyed Where’d You Go, Bernadette, by Maria Semple. As an Oregonian I like it when books are set in the Pacific Northwest. 🙂

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Kani June 11, 2013 at 12:52 pm

Novel: Tell the Wolves I’m Home by Carol Rifka Brunt. June is 14 in the 1980’s when her favorite uncle dies of AIDS. She deals with this loss and with adolescent growing pains with her 15 year old sister. Touching; a great growing-up tale.

Non-fiction: One more vote for Quiet: The Power of Introverts. Another suggestion is The Psychopath Test, by Jon Ronson. Hilarious (in parts) and will make you think about how we define “normal.”

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Gena@BakeAllTheThings! June 13, 2013 at 10:45 am

I tried so hard to get into Tell the Wolves I’m Home. After putting it down and picking it back up least a half dozen times, I finally gave up about a third of the way into it. 🙁

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jennifer p June 11, 2013 at 1:11 pm

amen to real books,i need to have a book not an electronic device to read.i love the library.i have about 14 books out right now that i have to get through.i need to finish these ,before i keep getting more books out .i just read jeneration x by jen lancaster.it was very funny, now i am reading another of her books called my fair lazy.

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Reese June 12, 2013 at 5:24 pm

Oh I looooove Jen Lancaster! She has a new book out now, The Tao of Martha…all about living like Martha Stewart for a year. I’m SOOOOOOOOO excited to read it 😀

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Meredith in SA June 11, 2013 at 1:13 pm

I recently finished _The Poisonwood Bible_ by Barbara Kingsolver – it laid my soul bare. I also really liked _Cutting for Stone_ By Abraham Verghese. Currently, I’m speeding through some Steven King – that’s my light reading.

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Maggie June 11, 2013 at 1:20 pm

My favorites are Parnassus on Wheels, The Linnet’s Tale, the Nightside series, and The Pilot’s Handbook of Aeronautical Knowledge. The last one has everything I need, and I’ll never get rid of it!

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SarahN June 11, 2013 at 1:26 pm

For novels, I like Paulina Simons – I loved Red Leaves (she’s progressively made the books longer) for fiction.

For non fiction, I have three in circulation at home (one on the b’fast table, one in the handbag, one by the bed!). I have one on negotiations (the Yes Book), one on being cheap (Australian based which is nice for me) and one about what would happen if humans left the world – which is non fiction, all about concrete cracking, and talking about animals, and all that stuff. I’ve realised one non fiction takes me too long to read, but a few in circulation is the way to go. I used to review a book a week (when I was getting through them faster!) on my blog, I tagged them all if you want to have a look. A few Jap fiction, some crime ones (nothing too graphic). I last read Perfume, really enjoyed it!

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Monica June 12, 2013 at 4:43 am

Tully, by Paullina Simons is one of my all time faves — gut wrenching. I cried all through it and didn’t want it to end. I had never red anything like it. I also loved her Bronze Horseman, a story of Leningrad in WWII. Her heroines are amazing!

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Jenny June 12, 2013 at 10:16 am

The World Without Us? That one was good, and led to a very lively discussion in my book club.

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Linda M June 11, 2013 at 2:01 pm

Just finished: The Heart of Simple Living: 7 paths to a better life by Wanda Urbanska. Also just read Safe Haven ..and The Best of Me by Nicholas Sparks…..love his stories. Am now reading Nineteen Minutes by Jodi Picoult. Have two waiting for me also…both by Janette Oke. One of my favorites has been “The Shack” by William Paul Young…I think that is his name….it has been a bit since I read it.
I also tend to read more in the summer and haven’t quite figured that out. Thanks for the recommendations for future reads….what a nice blog.

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Jessica June 11, 2013 at 2:26 pm

A quick Y&A read that adults I know have loved is Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell.

I’ll second, third, forth, where ever we are Quiet & Where Did you Go Bernadette?

I also like Jennifer Weiner’s books, Then Came You is one I really enjoyed that is a newer one, you may have read it already.

Non-fiction – The New Feminist Agenda, as someone involved in heath care I’d be interested to hear your opinion about many of the policies the author suggests. The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks, if you haven’t already heard about it is the story of the women who had the first cells that continued to grow in a lab situation and many cures were tested and developed using her HeLa cells. Also Lean In by Sheryl Sandberg, it’s not too in-depth about women ni the work place but gives you kind of a primer.

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Katy June 11, 2013 at 8:10 pm

Oh yes, *loved* “The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks!”

Katy

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Kailey June 12, 2013 at 8:00 am

I second that. It blew my mind because you never thought where these cells came from and then maddening because of all the racist legislation. But the more people know the better.

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Jenny June 12, 2013 at 10:19 am

Sorry about the double comment. Henrietta was very good, and she made the science very understandable.

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Trish June 11, 2013 at 2:36 pm

I have to chime in again and mention one of my favorite authors, Barbara Pym. Her books are set in England after WWII.

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Kani June 11, 2013 at 2:49 pm

Barbara Pym is wonderful! I first learned of her books in a Vogue magazine article, of all places.

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Trish June 11, 2013 at 3:57 pm

that is strange! not where I would expect of Vogue.

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Katy June 11, 2013 at 8:02 pm

Thanks, I put one of her books on hold.

Katy

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Penelope June 11, 2013 at 2:49 pm

The Crying Tree by Naseem Rakha
The Fault in Our Stars (or anything else) by John Green
Heading Out to Wonderful and A Reliable Wife by Robert Goolrick
The Snow Child by Eowyn Ivey
Jitterbug Perfume by Tom Robbins

These are all fiction.

For non-fiction I recommend A People’s History of the United States by Howard Zinn
Also, I use Goodreads to keep track of what I’ve read or want to read.

Penelope Samuel

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Sheila June 12, 2013 at 5:17 am

Oh – I absolutely adored Jitterbug Perfume. A co-worker loaned me a copy several years ago and I ended up buying my own and I don’t do that very often at all!

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Loretta June 11, 2013 at 3:10 pm

Really enjoyed The Next Best Thing! And I just finished Overdressed AND Scratch Beginnings.

My recs are:
The Rosie Project – Graeme Simsion (Australian, very funny)
Instructions for a heatwave – Maggie O’Farrell
Where’d you go, Bernadette? – Maria Semple
Plus the Agatha Raisin mysteries by M.C. Beaton – British, and a lot of fun!

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Katy June 11, 2013 at 8:05 pm

Love Agatha Raisin and her “Bear-like eyes”

Katy

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Angela June 11, 2013 at 3:32 pm

The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls
A memoir — in my opinion an unforgettable fascinating lifechanger! Top five list for me.

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Trish June 11, 2013 at 7:06 pm

Ditto as well as Wild by Cheryl Strayed

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Diane C June 13, 2013 at 3:22 pm

Oh, then read her next book “Half Broke Horses.” I think I loved it even more!

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Molly June 11, 2013 at 3:35 pm

I’m currently plowing through all of Raymond Khoury and Alex Berenson.
And, um, I’m watching Accidentally on Purpose.

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Mindy June 11, 2013 at 3:42 pm

Funny, I JUST finished the memoir of a woman who lives in Oregon and has a gardening blog. I wrote a post today about it here:
http://rindymae.blogspot.com/2013/06/reaching.html

It was really, really good. I highly recommend it.

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hmbalison June 11, 2013 at 3:47 pm

I just finished Elizabeth, The First Wife by Lian Dolan. It is a fun book about a woman who teaches Shakespeare at community college. One day, her ex-husband who is now a famous movie star seeks her out to help him prepare for a role in a Shakespeare play. Most of the book is set at the Ashland Shakespeare Festival, and it is a blast!

I also loved What Alice Forgot by Liane Moriarity about a woman who bangs her head during spin class and when she regains consciousness, she’s forgotten the last decade of her life. Great premise and very funny book.

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dusty June 13, 2013 at 2:28 am

just ordered what alice forgot from the library, looking forward to reading it

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Michelle June 11, 2013 at 5:30 pm

The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls

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AnnW June 11, 2013 at 6:05 pm

I just finished “Revenge Wore Prada.” Save your money. It was remarkably unsatisfying. I just also finished all the Maisie Dobbs mysteries by Jacqueline Winspear. I couldn’t stop reading them. Wild by Cheryl Strayed is just about life changing. If you like mysteries the Australian author Peter Temple has written about ten of them. They are also long. M.C. Beaton’s Agatha Raisin series is brilliant, along with her series about the Scottish policeman. She wrote a lot of Regency novels under the name Marion Chesney. I think she writes about six books a year. I am seeing Jeannette Walls !! at our library on Thursday. She has a new book out any day now. Ann

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Diane C June 13, 2013 at 3:24 pm

I second the Maisie Dobbs mysteries!

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Practical Parsimony June 11, 2013 at 6:07 pm

TREADWELL by Dana Joy Wyzard is a book a fellow blogger wrote. It is not as gritty as some reviewers seem to portray it.

I had to get the library to order it. It’s a new book. My review:

http://practical-parsimony.blogspot.com/2013/05/book-recommendationtreadwell-yes-i.html

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susan June 11, 2013 at 6:45 pm

Don’t know if you read him or not, but Joyland by Stephen King is excellent. Not his usual gore, this is more a mystery – in line with the Hard case Crime series. Kind of a film noir book if you know what I mean.

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Nicole June 11, 2013 at 8:07 pm

Try looking at the British publisher Persephone. Their mandate is to reissue out of print books by female British authors (Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day was their most famous one). I think they’ve done over a hundred now.

And for non-fiction, anything by Mary Roach. She is hilarious and persistent, both in the name of science.

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Barb @ 1SentenceDiary June 12, 2013 at 6:33 am

I second the recommendation for Mary Roach’s non-fiction. Hilarious and fascinating, both.

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Queen Lucia June 12, 2013 at 9:09 am

YES to Persephone! I have several of their books, including Miss Pettigrew, and love them all. Second the recommendations for Major Pettigrew’s Last Stand (what is it with those Pettigrews?), Barbara Pym and Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel. I recently finished In the Palace of the Snow Queen by Barbara Sjoholm and absolutely loved it – she writes beautifully about visiting Scandinavia above the Arctic Circle in the winter.

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sage June 11, 2013 at 8:17 pm

I usually read non-fiction. Several in rotation right now. I also highly recommend An Everlasting Meal by Tamar Adler. I love the way she uses words. It’s also useful for frugal cooking. I checked it out from the library and it’s the only book in a long time that I want to own.
One of my all-time favorite summer reads is From the Ground Up by Amy Stewart. Her first book and her first garden.
Recently finished Scratch Beginnings and Nickel & Dimed. Both were interesting. My turn for Michael Pollan’s new book, Cooked, has come; I get to pick it up at the library tomorrow!

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OnGreenCarpet June 12, 2013 at 12:57 am

Not yet read, but I just ordered from Amazone my summer read:
Saved: how i quit worrying about money and became the richest guy in the world 🙂

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Eliza June 12, 2013 at 3:36 am

I recently enjoyed ‘The Light Between the Oceans’ by ML Stedman. Check it out .

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Jan June 12, 2013 at 4:15 am

Just finished Learning to Swim by Sarah J. Henry, which grabbed me right from the beginning, and I’m looking forward to her second book, A Cold and Lonely Place. I’m now reading Clean by David Sheff and want to read his first book, Beautiful Boy, about his son’s addiction. Room by Emma Donoghue was the best novel I’ve read in a long, long time – not as hard to get through as you’d think.
I vote Yes for real books, No for e-books.

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Barb @ 1SentenceDiary June 12, 2013 at 6:36 am

“Room” was amazing. I finished it several months ago (maybe a year?) and I still think about it. The perspective Donoghue brought to the story made it simply unforgettable.

And I have David’s Sheff’s books on reserve at the library… just waiting for my turn.

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Kendra June 12, 2013 at 8:25 am

“Room” does linger in your mind for long time. I’ve never read a book quite like it.

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Abbe June 12, 2013 at 4:28 am

“The Ladies’ Paradise” by Emile Zola. It’s the Art Institute of Chicago’s book group selection to accompany the “Impressionism, Modernity and Fashion” show that opens at the end of the month. I usually find this subject too vapid, but it is a lovely summer read (and a classic). Hoping the show at the Art Institute doesn’t disappoint, either!

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Monica June 12, 2013 at 4:53 am

The Selected Journals of LM Montgomery (she wrote “Anne of Green Gables,” among many others). She kept her journals from the age 14 until a few days before she died at age 62. They span the 1880’s through the 1940’s. They are an un-put-downable insight into the mind and life of a creative genius who had to play second fiddle to her husband, as a minister’s wife, because it was before the eras of feminism and women’s independence. Her journals were her only friend and outlet, and she writes her most intimate thoughts and dreams in them. As she progressed in years and became world famous, she edited her journals, wishing them to be published after her death. A-May-Zing! We have come so far as women in the modern world…Available on Amazon as used books…

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Ann June 12, 2013 at 5:14 am

I would recommend the “Commissario Guido Brunetti” series by Donna Leon. What’s better than a detective story set in Venice. Then there’s the archaeological mysteries series by Lyn Hamiton and Elizabeth Peters. And, the Sherlock Holmes/Mary Russell series by Laurie R King. Please don’t forget Sue Grafton and Marcia Mueller. My favorite all time mystery beach reads are the Stephanie Plum books by Janet Evanovich — I think the first 10 are the best. You will laugh a certain part of your anatomy off. As you may have noticed I love a good mystery read and love, love, love series!
I also love Michael Pollan’s books; “The Botany of Desire” is a real page turner and Malcolm Gladwell for the same reason. Ah, so many books, so little time.

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sage June 12, 2013 at 1:01 pm

Have you read any of the books co-authored by Marcia Muller and her husband, Bill Pronzini? Beyond the Grave, alternates chapters between a detective named Quincannon , set in 1980s San Francisco, and a modern-day museum curator who finds a piece of furniture w/ half a letter written by Quincannon. The follow-up book is Carpenter & Quincannon. Sabina Carpenter is a former Lady Pinkerton, who becomes Quincannon’s business partner. M & P just released a new book in the series (it only took 15 years!) — The Bughouse Affair. Just started it last night. I’m sure it will be as entertaining as the rest.

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sage June 12, 2013 at 1:03 pm

Oops! I meant 1890s San Francisco.

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JJ June 12, 2013 at 5:30 am

I just started reading “Life’s Operating Manual” by Tom Shadyac. He is the Hollywood director of hit movies such as Ace Ventura and Liar Liar. In 2007 he gave up most of his possessions and moved into a small, modest home and started living a simpler life. Pretty good so far.

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Christa June 12, 2013 at 6:17 am

The Man Who Planted Trees: Lost Groves, Champion Trees, and an Urgent Plan to Save the Planet by Jim Robbins. I absolutely loved this book! I kept spouting quotes and interesting passages at my husband for days after I finished it.

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JD June 12, 2013 at 6:19 am

I tend to return to old books to read over and over — I’ve read “To Kill A Mockingbird” so many times, yet I still cry when I read it.
I took a lot of British Lit in college, so much of my reading reflects that, but I don’t restrict myself to just that.
Loved “A Distant Mirror” by Tuchman, “Mere Christianity” and “The Screwtape Letters” by Lewis, “The Mother Tongue” by Bryson, and for cold winter evenings, “The Wind in the Willows” with a child.
“John Adams” by McCullough has been a favorite.
Anything by Jane Austen, Judith Martin (Miss Manners), Mark Twain or Anthony Trollope. I really like Wodehouse and P.D. James.
I loved “Excellent Women”, “Enchanted April” and “Cold Mountain.”
As a kid, I read Louisa M. Alcott repeatedly, and almost read the print off of my “Alice in Wonderland” and “Through the Looking Glass.”
Dave Barry and Erma Bombeck are my guilty pleasures.
And finally, the stories of Edgar Allen Poe — I think it’s in the blood to read him, because he’s a relative.

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Trish June 12, 2013 at 2:12 pm

JD- did you see the movie version of ‘Enchanted April?’ the one instance where I liked the movie better than the book. and Excellent women is my favorite Pym. The only one I didn’t like was Quartet in Autumn, and wasn’t keen on Less than Angels. I adore British literature. I love British mysteries as well, especially Carolyn Graham, PD James, Elizabeth George, and Deborah Crombie.

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Natalie June 12, 2013 at 6:32 am

Hi Katy,
I was happy to find you featured in an article in July’s Redbook magazine! Congratulations!

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Barb @ 1SentenceDiary June 12, 2013 at 6:42 am

Fiction:
“Silver Sparrow” by Tayari Jones. Read it a few months ago and loved it — just talked about w/ my bookclub this week and it was a hit. Very well written with lots to think about.

Science Fiction:
“The Sparrow” by Mary Doria Russell. I swear, the two names are simply coincidentally similar, as these books are nothing alike. A great read, the story really pulls you along. It includes meeting an alien race and the enormous difficulty in understanding a truly foreign culture, as well as some facinating thoughts on the nature of god.

Non-Fiction:
I’m dying to read “The Astronaut’s Wives Club” by Lily Koppel. But I can’t honestly recommend it since I haven’t read it yet. 🙂

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Rebecca June 12, 2013 at 7:42 am

I recently read “City of Women” can’t remember the auther but was based in Berlin during WWII and talked about the underground Jewish smuggling movement. Fantastic.

I also love anything by Michelle Moran. She writes historically based fiction set in everything from ancient Egypt to Madame Tussaude. What makes her novel’s so go is that they are all based on real people and times, enhanced to make a great story.

I also love Kate Quinn. She writes historical drama based in ancient Rome. The novels can be graphic, think gladiators in the arena, and some graphic intimate scenes, but her novels are gripping and hold somewhat true to the turbulent political scene that was Emperial Rome.

And for the guys (and ladies) my husb and I love Clive Cussler. His heros are a bit Indiana Jones, some James Bond and a large dose of Jaques Custeau with a bunch of twists and turns built in.

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Rebecca June 12, 2013 at 7:46 am

For Kate Quinn, I would read her books in Chronological order, not the published order, as her second book is set before her first. So read 2, then 1 then 3. Many of the characters follow over and makes for easier reading.

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Kendra June 12, 2013 at 8:11 am

So many books, so little time. My list of books to read is a mile long, and continually growing. I recently finished “The Secret Keeper” by Kate Morton. I highly recommend. With several twist, it keeps you guessing until the very end.

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Kailey June 12, 2013 at 8:14 am

Currently I’m reading Apples to Oysters – a food lovers tour of Canadian Farms by Margaret Webb. It’s a really interesting book if you like reading about food. It focuses on farmers who aren’t industrializing – their struggles, their method etc. And it has some fantastic recipes. It’s a very personable book and now I want to meet all these people because they seem fantastic and do food how it should be done.
My go to’s when I’m ‘inbetween books’ are Journey to the Centre of the Earth and Bram Stoker’s Dracula. I don’t know why but I never tire of them.
My good friend/informal book club partner LOVES LOVES LOVES anything by Annie Proulx.
I also read Pillars of the Earth, it was long but very good. There are some strong female characters in this book which is always a good thing.

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Tracy June 12, 2013 at 9:18 am

I am so glad I am not alone in liking paper books more than e books! I rarely pick up my e reader, but going to the library, or a good library book sale is such a treat!!! I always have a few books going. Half Broke Horses, the sequel to the Glass Castle is a good one

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Jenny June 12, 2013 at 10:23 am

Aaahhhh….I need to work in the garden today and all this is making me want to sit on the deck with a book!
Thanks for the lists!

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Laurel June 12, 2013 at 12:50 pm

I’m in the minority in that I LOVE my Nook. At first I couldn’t imagine reading anything but a real book but the whole concept and technology of e-readers fascinated me, so I tried one (Nook Simple Touch) and I am hooked! I’ve downloaded a ton of public domain books and discovered how wonderful the Sherlock Holmes stories are!

Some of my past favorite summer reads are Gone with the Wind, The Stand by Stephen King and Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett (anything by Ken Follett, actually).

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Barb @ 1 Sentence Diary June 12, 2013 at 2:20 pm

Oh yes, I love my eReader as well! I had no desire for an eReader until my dad basically insisted that I had to have one. He was totally right. Now we have four in the family, plus my brothers and my parents as well. Couldn’t live without my Kindle.

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Diane June 12, 2013 at 1:25 pm

I heartily recommend the Flavia deLuce series by Alan Bradley… a 12-year-old nosy girl detective inn 1950’s rural England. SO spunky — Love me my Flavia!

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greenstrivings June 12, 2013 at 9:56 pm

Oh yes! That’s a wonderful series. It’s told from Flavia’s point of view without ever being precious or cutesy.

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Melissa June 12, 2013 at 3:59 pm

I just started “Mirror, Mirror, Off the Wall” and am enjoying it.

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Juli June 12, 2013 at 4:45 pm

Just finished The Dirty Life by Kristin Kimball, non-fiction account of a freelance journalist marrying an organic farmer and starting a CSA in upstate NY and The Family Fang by Kevin Wilson about a performance artist couple involving their children in their art and the resulting dysfunction. LOVED both of them, particularly The Family Fang, which I see is going to be made into a film.

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Brenda T. June 12, 2013 at 7:37 pm

The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society was a great read. Guernica by David Boling was great. Both are World War II era – the first in England and the other in Spain/France.

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Brenda T. June 12, 2013 at 7:41 pm

I just finished The Lost Quilter, which followed the life of a runaway slave just before the Civil War. This is by Jennifer Chiaverini, as part of her Elm Creek Quilters series. I couldn’t put it down.

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greenstrivings June 12, 2013 at 10:03 pm

If you like mysteries, many of my favorites have already been recommended here, but I want to put in a plug for Kerry Greenwood. She has two series, one featuring Phryne (rhymes with “briny”) Fisher, a rich flapper in 1920s Melbourne and one featuring Corinna, a zaftig baker. I just really like her writing style and her characters are fun to spend time with.

I also like Spencer Quinn’s series about Chet and Bernie. Chet is a dog and narrates the books. It could be sickeningly cute but in fact is extremely funny and well-done.

Thanks to everyone else for their recs; my summer reading list has grown by leaps and bounds!

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Gena@BakeAllTheThings! June 13, 2013 at 10:35 am

Some recent favorites:
Through the Glass – Shannon Moroney [non-fiction, a woman’s memoir about her husband’s sex crimes]
The Kitchen House – Kathleen Grissom [historical fiction, plantation slavery
The Shoemaker’s Wife – Adriana Trigiani [historical fiction, Italian immigration at the turn of the century]
The Keeper of Lost Causes – Jussi Adler-Olsen [suspense]
The Woman Who Wasn’t There – Robin Gaby Fisher [non-fiction, about a fraud 9/11 survivor]

Bookmarking this post so I can go through the comments and add books to my to-read list on Goodreads!
http://www.goodreads.com/thedivinemissg

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Ann Y. June 14, 2013 at 5:10 am

Loved The SHoemaker’s Wife…wish she would write another one soon !

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Adriana Trigiani June 19, 2013 at 10:55 am

So glad you loved The Shoemaker’s Wife!
Thank you for sharing with all. Have a great summer!
Look out for The Supreme Macaroni Company which will be out November 5th!

Much love xoxo Adriana

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Elaine in Ark June 13, 2013 at 11:00 am

The best summertime novel I’ve ever read was “And Ladies Of The Club”. I think it came out in the ’80s, but I still think about the characters and situations in that story.

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Kristin @ Meals Outside The Box June 13, 2013 at 6:20 pm

I also tend to read more in the summer. So far I have finished “While We Were Watching Downton Abbey” by Wendy Wax, which is a delightful read about folks who live in a building in Atlanta, GA. The concierge in the building decides to start showing the first two seasons of Downton Abbey, which helps create some interesting friendships. I really enjoyed this one.

I also finished reading “The Red Queen” by Philippa Gregory, which is a novel about Henry the VII’s mother. It was also an excellent read and I look forward to reading more of Gregory’s historical fiction.

My next book is “The American Heiress” by Daisy Goodwin. I guess I’m in a historical fiction/Downton Abbey summer.

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Anna June 13, 2013 at 8:05 pm

Has anyone read The Seven Experiment by Jen Hatmaker? I keep hearing the it is great, but I’m not that familier with her books. Thoughts? Thanks!

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Ann Y. June 14, 2013 at 5:03 am

Oh my ! I am going to love reading all these comments…as an “off for the summer Middle School Libraraian” I am so excited to read adult books…though Middle School books can be great, too. And vote me in for paper books, too. Love the feel, the smell….just can’t get into the eBooks. Nor can Stephen King, whose new book ( which I admit I bought new as a guilty pleasure ) Joyland will not be published in an eBook version. Anyway….I have a list a mile long to “to read” this summer and I can see I am going to be taking some from this blog, too. On my porch table right now….Joyland by King, Second Sight by David Williams ( read this years ago, loved it, it is out of print, you can find it in libraries and sometimes a paperback in a book sale) which is an amazing time travel/romance/mystery. Also going to enjoy Jodi Picoult, and a bunch from the library. Our public library has an Adult Reading Summer Club – you read a book, review it, hand in the paper , they snip off your name and once a week they pick winners. I have won a Longenberger basket, a nice crock from a local shop, little cookbooks, and a 5 buck gift card to the local diner that has great breakfasts. Check out (pardon the pun) your local libray to see if they have such a program. It is fun! Right now I am reading The Book fo Tomorrow by Cecelia Ahern…and for a family read aloud I would do recommend the 2013 Newberry winner – The One and Only Ivan. If you loved Charlotte’s Web, you will adore this…
OK…gotta read all the comments and add to my list !

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Katy June 14, 2013 at 5:33 am

I love Cecelia Ahern, and saw that she had a new book out. I’ll have to go check it out! 😉

Katy

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patti June 14, 2013 at 9:34 am

I just finished See You in a Hundred Years by Logan Ward which is the story of a couple who buy a farm and live as if it was 1900. Very interesting as far as how hard it truly is to live off the grid. Also just finished Confessions of a Shopaholic by Sophie Kinsella which was hilarious for me since I am such a frugalite. Very quick read. I am now reading Living Large by Sarah Z. Wexler which I think was recommended on your FB page.

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Jennifer @ Little Blog in the Big Woods June 17, 2013 at 3:49 am

Ha! It’s so funny you mention the smell of books, because I am reading Jane Eyre for the first time and it’s an old copy from the library and I LOVE the old book smell! I am also planning on reading “The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks” soon. It is non-fiction and I’ve heard it is a gripping and important story!

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Ann Y. June 17, 2013 at 4:04 am

LOVE Jane Eyre…won’t spoil it, but favorite line is there at the end…
“Reader, I…..”
Enjoy it. Just heading out for a long walk to the public library to see what is available !

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