Tell Me What to Read: Beach Reading Edition
I am ridiculously excited for summer to be here this year.
I’ve dubbed this the summer of the homemade popsicle (we made our first on Tuesday), we’ve broken out the sunscreen and swim diapers, and with both of Ella’s preschools finished up, we are keeping things pretty calm and lazy around here. I’m loving it.
And summer calls for summer reading. Here’s where you come in – a beach version of Tell Me What to Read. This is not the time to suggest War and Peace (sorry, Sherry).
Suggest something fun (although that doesn’t have to mean chick-lit – I’m up for fascinating non-fiction, memoirs, YA, middle grade, AND chick-lit), and I’ll pick three from the comments to read over the next three months of summer.
This summer, for the first time in many moons, we actually are making a trip to the beach. I think your book would like to come along too.
In review:
- Comment with the title of one fun book you think I should read. One title only, please, lest my brain explode.
- I’ll choose three from the list and announce them next week.
- I’ll read one a month – June, July, and August. Feel free to read along.
- I’ll write a review of each one here. Even if I hate the book, I will not hate you.
And. . .go!
My Berlin Kitchen: A Love Story (with recipes) by Luissa Weiss. Almost as good as Molly Wizenberg's food memoir and would make a perfect light and fun beach read.
My Family and Other Animals by Gerald Durrell, as long as you don't mind laughing loudly in public.
I've recently picked up reading a lot more with a book club and have since read a variety of books. But from your blog, I picked up Wednesday Wars and am now reading it. Recently I read The Last of the Really Great Whangdoodles and thought it was fantastic. It is also a YA and was so creative and fun. Plus I felt it had a lot of good in it. The characters grow and experience challenges, peer pressure and are guided along the way. Now, I'll review all these books in the comment section to add to my Goodreads to-read pile.
I suggest Miss Buncle's Book, by DE Stevenson. Totally light, and made me laugh out loud more than once!
A great YA book that's a trilogy with the first and second books out. I'm dying for the third one to come out this fall. Ruby Red is the first book. It's translated from German. Adventure and romance. Great characters to love and hate. It's about time travel, but it's not a heavy science fiction read at all. We've been passing these books around my faculty. Enjoy the beach!
Two YA (I'm a 5th grade teacher, so that's pretty much all I read):
Glass Girl by Laura Anderson Kurk
The Watson's Go to Birmingham-1963 by Christopher Paul Curtis
I Capture the Castle, by Dodie Smith (she of 101 Dalmations fame!)
The Burgess Boys by Elizabeth Strout and I also second the recommendation for Wonder.
Where'd You Go Bernadette by Maria Semple is a MUST READ. Hilarious satire, semi-epistolary and a total page turner: perfect for summer (or anytime, really).
The Cherry Cola Book Club by: Ashton Lee. A cute story, and a really fun read!
Funny in Farsi by Firoozeh Dumas
Into the wind by Jean Ferris. Light, easy, YA historical fiction.
"The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie" by Alan Bradley. Set post WWII England and starring Flavia de Luce, an 11 year-old aspiring chemist and precocious girl who, along with Gladys her trusty 3-speed bike, rambles around her village trying to solve mysteries. This is the first and there are, I think, four so far.
Have you read The Night Circus?
It is difficult to find a book that I have read that you have not. However, according to Goodreads, you have not read any Kate Morton. I know your sister has read a number of her books and liked them (via a Twitter conversation). I pick the Forgotten Garden. (Or the Distant Hours). I am currently working on The Secret Keeper and am liking it like I have the rest of her books.
Carpe demon by Julie kenner
Black Swan Green by David Mitchell
I'm going to go with The Secret Garden by France Hodgson Burnett. It's a classic for a reason!!
I love all this book suggestions. My library list is getting out of control and I can't wait to read all these suggestions.
The Tutor's Daughter by Julie Klassen
It Happened at the Fair by Deeanne Gist
I don't know what kind of books you like, but my favorite is historical fiction. An author i've read lately is Kate Morton and I love her! (kind of reminiscent of Victoria Holt–one of my all time favorite authors) I've read her 4 books and I love them. My favorite so far is her latest one–The Secret Keeper. Would love to know what you think of it!