I’m a voracious reader. At any given time lately I’m reading at least three different books. What I pick up depends on my mood, but I’m often rotating between middle grade/young adult fiction, historical fiction, as well as something nonfiction — but I’ll pick up anything that friends recommend or that catches my eye as well. Sometimes a personal development book is also thrown into the mix.
Your first question might be: but where do you find time to read? Especially as a busy work-at-home mom with two little kids? The answer: I fit it in whenever I can. I read a couple pages with my morning coffee, when my kids are playing nicely with one another, and even on my phone in snatches here and there. (Read more about how I gave myself permission to read in front of my kids.)
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The past few months I’ve read more than normal, probably because I’ve been up in Michigan and spending time with family, and then going on a solo trip to Florida. Here are my favorite reads from this summer:
Young Adult Books
The “Heaven” Series (Books 1 & 2) by Angela Johnson
I accidentally picked up “The First Part Last” first (the second book in Johnson’s series), and I was immediately taken in by her detail in describing parenting in the opening (“But I figure if the world were really right, humans would live life backward and do the first part last. They’d be all knowing in the beginning and innocent in the end. Then everybody could end their life on their momma or daddy’s stomach in a warm room, waiting for the soft morning light.”).
It’s okay to read these books out of order too. “Heaven” is about a young Marley who lives in Heaven, Ohio and learns a startling truth about her family; “The First Part Last” delves into the history of Marley’s friend Bobby. They’re character studies in a way, their voices distinct in each novel, and Johnson does a beautiful job of highlighting a turning point in each character’s lives.
“Burn for Burn” series by Jenny Han and Siobhan Vivian
Three high school girls are out for revenge on the remote Jar Island, and they band together to make it happen in “Burn for Burn.” These books are easy reads and trust me when I say the story will suck you in. I’m so glad that I didn’t start reading the trilogy until all the books were out, because the first two end on cliffhangers, which had me racing to the library to get the next book. I’m still undecided how I feel about the ending, but I promise, my lips are zipped, and I won’t give it away.
“Female of the Species” by Mindy McGinnis
I originally picked “Female of the Species” up, because it may be a comp to my own YA contemporary that I’m working on, in part because of the multiple perspectives but also because it deals with rape culture. Alex Craft is at the heart of this book; is it a story of revenge as she uncages the violence inside her after the rape and death of her older story? A story of hope and redemption? It’s both, and the twists and turns in this book left me reeling. It’s hard for me to say more than that without giving much away with this book, but I wholeheartedly recommend it.
Historical Fiction Books
“A Discovery of Witches” (#1) by Deborah Harkness
The speed of this book was a lot different than the young adult books mentioned above, but it’s no less engaging…well depending on you ask; if you don’t like history paired with witches, vampires, and demons, skip ahead.
In “A Discovery of Witches” Diana Bishop is an American Scholar who accidentally uncovers a book that witches, vampires, and daemons alike have been trying to find for centuries. What ensues is a riveting story about Diana discovering who she really is, falling in love with a vampire, risking her life, and uncovering family secrets. Author Deborah Harkness is also a historian and professor, and you can tell: the level of detail in the novel is astounding, but it doesn’t bog the plotline down. If anything, it makes it even more enjoyable.
“The Lake House” by Kate Morton
This was easily my favorite read from my local book club this summer as I was captivated by both the mystery and history as well as the various stories that unfolded. The premise of “The Lake House“: young Theo goes missing the night of a Midsummer night party in 1933, and the cold case only gets reopened by a curious detective named Sadie who has her own past she’s been trying to run from. Kate Morton did a brilliant job of leaving clues and then taking you on some wild twists, and it’s a crazy journey into the life of a family that has quite a few secrets. Another thing I loved about this story: how memories — and our stories — can be flawed.
Contemporary Fiction
“A Visit from the Goon Squad” by Jennifer Egan
I had this book on my TBR list for AGES, and after hearing an interview with Egan about creativity, “A Visit from the Goon Squad” jumped to the top. The book jacket doesn’t do this novel justice.
It’s about the life of Bennie Salazar, a record company executive, as well as his assistant Sasha. “A Visit from the Goon Squad” goes back and forth in time by sharing the stories of people who had some sort of impact on the two main character’s lives. In ways it read as a series of short stories, and it is that, but it’s also a testament to how interconnected all our lives are.
Nonfiction Books
“As You Wish: Inconceivable Tales from the Making of the Princess Bride” by Cary Elwes and Joe Layden
One of my favorite movies growing up was “The Princess Bride,” a swashbuckling romance that has more than its fair share of quotable lines. “Never get involved in a land war in Asia!” So when I discovered that lead actor Cary Elwes wrote a behind-the-scenes book about the making of the movie I was stoked. “As You Wish” didn’t disappoint. Elwes, with the help of Joe Layden, details everything from landing the role and meeting his co-stars — including the incredible Robin Wright — and working with Rob Reiner, to on-site injuries that didn’t stop him from training for one of the most legendary sword fights in movie history. I read a good chunk of this on the plane and found myself literally laughing out loud. Now excuse me while I go rewatch “The Princess Bride”… and go nab the original book by William Goldman.
“How to Change Your Mind: What the New Science of Psychedelics Teaches Us About Consciousness, Dying, Addiction, Depression, and Transcendence” by Michael Pollan
This is another book that jumped to the top after I heard an interview with Michael Pollan who also penned the popular “The Omnivore’s Dilemma” and “Botany of Desire.” As the title suggests, “How to Change Your Mind” is all about the history of psychedelics, and oh my what a history. Did you know that psychedelics, around the time of WWII and thereafter, were being studied as ways of treating alcoholism? Because I didn’t.
This book is an eye-opening account of the many applications for psychedelics for treating all people, including healthy ones. This book will also make you rethink how the world works — did you know that mushrooms can form a network of sorts that connects trees and sends nutrients as needed? — and open your eyes to all sorts of new ways of thinking.
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What were your favorite books this past summer? I’d love to hear your recommendations in the comments below!
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