What I've Been Reading this Summer
I’m always on the hunt for a good book and this summer I’ve found so many! I’ve read fiction (so much fiction!), suspense, non-fiction, historical fiction, and sci-fi/fantasy. It’s been a good reading summer and I wanted to share some of my favorites with you today. And please, do share any good books you’ve read lately in the comments…I always love getting your recommendations!
I like to tell anyone who will listen about the most amazing free way to read/listen to books…the public library! I downloaded the Libby App on my phone and can listen to audiobooks with my library card! Sometimes the waitlists are long on poplar books but it’s really easy to explore and search for good reads on the app. And of course, paper books are wonderful too and the kids and I have just started going back to our public library to grab a new book (or three or four) every week.
I also like to support our local bookstore so occasionally buy books for ourselves or as gifts there. I’ve included links to all of these books on Indiebound, which can help you locate a copy at a independent bookstore near you! And there are links to Amazon too - I love to peek at the reviews there before buying.
In no particular order, here are 13 good books I’ve read this summer…
Outlawed, Anna North - I hardly know how to define this novel, but I loved it! The story centers on Ada, a barren women who must flee her home and husband to escape persecution. She joins up with the Hole in the Wall Gang, and works on building a safe haven for more women. This story is such an adventure and I couldn’t put it down! (amazon affiliate, indiebound)
The Rose Code, Kate Quinn - this was a fun one! It’s a historical fiction novel that takes place in England 1940 during the war and again in 1947 after the war. Three very different women form a close friendship during WWII as English code-breakers in Blethley Park. They’re reunited 7 years later as they try to root out the spy who betrayed them. (amazon affiliate, indiebound)
Born to Run, Christopher McDougall - A rare non-fiction read for me, I loved this one! The Amazon description nailed this novel better than I ever could, so here you go… “Full of incredible characters, amazing athletic achievements, cutting-edge science, and, most of all, pure inspiration, Born to Run is an epic adventure that began with one simple question: Why does my foot hurt? In search of an answer, Christopher McDougall sets off to find a tribe of the world’s greatest distance runners and learn their secrets, and in the process shows us that everything we thought we knew about running is wrong.” (amazon affiliate, indiebound)
Pachinko, Min Jin Lee - What an epic novel! This book follows four generations of a family who start as poor Korean immigrants as they fight for more in Japan. This book won so many awards and the writing is phenomenal. Be warned, it’s long! I had to check this out twice from the library to finish it. (amazon affiliate, indiebound)
Transcendent Kingdom, Yaa Gyasi - Gifty is a PhD student at Stanford and the daughter of Ghanian immigrants and she’s determined to find the science behind all the suffering she witnesses in life. Her father abandoned them at a young age, her brother died of an overdose after a sports injury left him with an opioid addition, and her severely-depressed mother lives in Gifty’s bed. The story was raw, complex, and wonderfully written. (amazon affiliate, indiebound)
Northern Spy, Flynn Berry - this suspense follows Tessa, a BBC producer and new mother in Belfast. When her sister disappears and is accused of being in the IRA, Tessa is faced with impossible choices that test the limits of family, country, and conscience. (amazon affiliate, indiebound)
Malibu Rising, Taylor Jenkins Reid - I’m a big fan of all of Taylor Jenkins Reid’s books and this one did not disappoint. It follows the four famous Riva siblings as they prepare for their infamous yearly party. The novel dives into their tumultuous upbringing while their party gets completely out of hand. (amazon affiliate, indiebound)
Running with Sherman, Christopher McDougall - I actually read this one before reading McDougall’s breakthrough ‘Born to Run’ and while I thought the later was better, Running with Sherman was a fun story too. It follows McDougall as he trains to run a race…with his donkey! McDougall is a journalist by trade and the facts and side stories he weaves into the novel were fascinating and my favorite parts! (amazon affiliate, indiebound)
The Last Thing He Told Me, Lauria Dave - my sister recommend this one and it was thrilling! Before Owen disappears, he smuggles his wife of one year, Hannah, a note: “protect her”. Hannah knows exactly to whom the note refers - her 16-year-old step daughter. As Hannah’s frantic calls to her husband go unanswered and the FBI and US Marshalls become involved, Hannah and her step-daughter pull together to piece together the disappearance and move forward. (amazon affiliate, indiebound)
That summer, Jennifer Weiner - I picked up this novel thinking it would be a beach read, but it was far heavier than that. Daisy Shoemaker’s life in the suburbs with a difficult teenage daughter and distant husband isn’t all she had hoped for. When she starts receiving the emails of Diana Starling, a high powered consultant, the two strike up a friendship. But as the two become closer and we dive into Diana’s traumatic past, we learn that their connection isn’t accidental at all. (amazon affiliate, indiebound)
Send for Me, Lauren Fox - this historic-fiction novel moves between Germany at the beginning of WWII and modern-day Wisconsin, following Annalise and her granddaughter. Annelise, the daughter of Jewish bakers, marries and has a daughter just as the dangers of WWII close in. The story is based on letters from Lauren Fox’s own family! (amazon affiliate, indiebound)
Born a Crime, Trevor Noah - a rare non-fiction on my list, this was one of my favorite reads all year. It chronicles Trevor Noah’s childhood in South Africa during apartheid. His stories are hilarious, haunting, and beautifully-told. Highly recommend the audio version if you can get your hands on it - Trevor Noah is a delight to listen to! I actually subscribed to Audibles to listen to this one since it wasn’t available through our library. (amazon affiliate, indiebound)
Behold the Dreamers, Imbolo Mbue - I’m only halfway through this one but it’s so good I had to include it! It’s about a couple from Cameroon who immigrates to New York and finds work driving and cleaning for a wealthy Wall Street family just as the Great Recession begins. I just can’t get over how good this debut novel is - I’m so impressed with Imbolo Mbue! (amazon affiliate, Indiebound)
What about you…read any good books lately?
