I was kind of wondering if it was ever going to arrive, but we are most definitely in the grips of summer. As you know I have certain preferences that go along with certain seasons.
I like knitting, eating chili and spending the day in flannel during the winter.
I like canning, eating pumpkin pie and spending the day in flannel during the fall.
And I like reading, eating hamburgers and spending the day burning all things flannel during the summer.
I actually like reading during all seasons, but summer brings out a special reader in me. The easy reader. For me summer is a time for books that require almost no attention. I don't care about metaphors or big words or meaning. I just want a really good book. With maybe 5 characters at the most. If it has a graph at the start of the novel breaking down who all the characters are in some kind of family tree or pie chart I do not want to read it during the summer.
To start off your summer weekend I have for you 4 of my favourite summer reads ever. They're first to last page reads. In other words expect to get mustard stains on the pages because once you start the first page you're not going to be putting these books down until you've finished them. They will be with you through all meals, bathroom breaks and car rides.
They're easy reads but that doesn't mean they're completely frivolous. Except the Janet Evanovich at the end of the list. She is COMPLETELY frivolous reading. And that's why her series is such a GREAT summer go to.
I've read every one of these books (obviously) and give all of them 4 stars. I've included a link to buy the book (click on the book or the title) and a link to read the first chapter so you can make sure it's the kind of book for you.
Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe: A Novel
Read the first chapter of Fried Green Tomatoes
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Read the first chapter of Jurassic Park
Read the first chapter of The Help.
Plum Boxed Set 1, Books 1-3 (One for the Money / Two for the Dough / Three to Get Deadly) (Stephanie Plum Novels)
"> The first 3 in her series because if you like the first, you'll like the rest.
Read the first chapter of One for the Money
Have a good weekend and happy summer reading! I'll be over here in the corner eating a hamburger.
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Carlies
Thank you for recommending "Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow"
What a brilliant book even for non-gamers like myself.
ST
This summer I read The Paris Wife. Published in 2012. Excellent piece of historical fiction from the perspective of Hemingway's first wife. It prompted me to read more books from the era... like A Moveable Feast by Hemingway then on to read about Gertrude Stein and Fitzgerald (perfect as The Great Gatsby came out this summer). It certainly shows the complexity of many artists and I was sympathetic to both characters.
Ellen Partridge
I have to voice my opinion on Barbara Kingsolver's Poisonwood Bible--it's a delicious summer read, and it has multiple narrators who tell the story brilliantly.
korrine
I read Jurassic Park years ago and I stayed up all night reading it cover to cover. It was so scary!
Pattie
If a "summer read" is one that you absolutely cannot put down no matter what....then I nominate the following:
Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand
A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini
Mudbound by Hillary Jordan
City of Thieves by David Benioff
Chad
I've been reading through the Prey series by John Sanford this summer. Definitely good summer reading. Also, "Let's Pretend this never Happened" is a really fun, light read from one of your fellow bloggers if one is looking for some laughs and have a quirky, somewhat twisted sense of humor.
sherri
I am going through all of Marian Keyes books. Her books are fun to read, nothing too serious but more like a summer feel good easy read.
Scott
John D. MacDonald's Travis McGee series is a great summer read.
Liz Rose Bowman
Love Michael Chrichton!
Also, you should mix together your 2nd and 3rd paragraph/lines---- Pumpkin Chili is a superrrrrrb meal!