Summer Reading

Fun! I love talking about books...I guess as an English teacher that makes sense. I am currently reading One Day by David Nicholls- it was compared to Time Traveler's Wife (which I absolutely loved!) but I haven't really seen the exact connection yet. I am leaving for vacation tomorrow and have packed with me: Look Again by Lisa Scottoline and Barefoot by Elin Hilderbrand (looks like a good beach read from the cover!) and The Adoration of Jenna Fox by Mary Pearson (it's a young adult book)but I guess I should add The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo to my bag. I just finished Shanghai Girls for my book club and really enjoyed the story. My all time favorite these days is The Art of Racing in the Rain- by Garth Stein. Loved, loved loved it!

Little Bee is one that has stuck around in my mind even though it has been over a year since I read it. I loved The Help, guess we all do! I just finished Brooklyn, by Colm Toibin and i thought it was fantastic quick read- about a young irish immigrant in the 50's. Can't wait to get some of these titles the others have commented on!

I loved Little Bee and all the Millennium series books. I have recently loved The Help and Cutting for Stone.

I read the 3 books of Larsson last summer and I really enjoyed. After I've been reading some other Swedish authors (in Spain all of them are populars) but aren't the same. Actually I'm reading The last Cato from the Spanish Matilde Asensi. I recomend it. And after I will try with The Clan of the Cave Bear (?).

I read Little Bee (published as The Other Hand in UK - why do they do that?) but found it frustrating! I am part way through Her fearful symmetry.
Recent reads you may enjoy...The Secret Life of Bees; The Highest Tide; Talking About Jane Austen in Baghdad; Little Stranger
Next on my list is The Help
Maybe you'd enjoy some or all of them!
Chris x

I just finished American Music by Jane Mendelsohn. A poetic and literary novel about a massage therapist working to heal an Iraqi war veteran where stories of the past are released through his body as she performs her work. It covers a good part of the 20th century, the origins of American swing, and 17th century Turkey. Beautifully interwoven stories and characters.

I just read One Good Turn and When Will There Be Good News? (both by Kate Atkinson). I think I liked them rather than loved them. They were good reads but I just felt slightly dissatisfied at the end each time. But I still want to look out for Case Histories, also by Atkinson, and which features one of the same characters, so I must have liked them a fair bit!

Love this post and all of the comments! I'm currently reading the 3rd book in the Twilight series, really just so I know what all of the fuss is about. They are ok, but not on my top 10 list at all!
Next I'm going to start reading Firefly Lane by Kristin Hannah - it is our book club selection for August.
Thanks for all of the book ideas - I have a lot of reading to do.

Melanie RIGHT ABOVE me beat me to the punch! I've been OBSESSED with The Hunger Games series! They are fantastic. They are YA books, so it's a bit of an "easy" read, but they are great and they go so fast because you CANNOT put them down!!

Has anyone mentioned Sarah's Key. I've heard a lot of good things about this book and plane on starting it in the next few days. I'm also rereading a childhood favorite, The Wind in the Willows. I have fond memories of my mother reading that book to me when I was little.

I read Sarah's Key this spring and LOVED it. Heartbreaking...but really good.

Totally not on my top 10 list either...but definitely fun reads :).

I actually did not like Little Bee - it did not live up to the hype. Poorly developed.
The Help was excellent and I am enjoying The Lost city of Z.

Funny but my mom gave me both The Girl whith the Dragon Tattoo and Little Bee this weekend to read and I have Time Traveler's Wife on my bedside table. I also am working on updating Project Life (have pictures printed and need to organize). Funny when you read something that sounds like you could have written it yourself.

I am totally in love with "One Day" by David Nicholls. IT IS BRILLIANT. Really.

i picked up little bee too, and also have devil in the white city for this summer. my fave summer reads are always to kill a mockingbird and breakfast at tiffany's. i reread them all the time!

I read Winter Garden by Kristin Hannah a few months ago. One of the best I've read this year. Goes along with your theme of story this year.

I just finished Sarah's Key. I was quite emotional, and I learned a bit too. I'd highly recommend it. It was written interesting enough, even if I never did truly buy into the main character being an American expat.

I'm on the 3rd installment of the Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. I love these books! I'm hoping to finish ready in on my vacation. Thanks for the other recommendations. I've heard The Help is really good as well.

I just finished reading "Her Fearful Symmetry" last week and I completely agree with you. It was an odd story, but I really needed to know how it would turn out. It sure made think about what I believe as far as eternal life and the afterlife. Plus...what a statement on people and the choices we make.
I read "The Help" last month and loved it! I'm on vacation for 2 weeks starting Saturday, so I need to stock up on some good reading. Thanks for the suggestions.