Time to Read
Is it just me, or has it been near impossible to find time to read this summer?
I just want my laundry to be done (for once), and to have a quiet hour to read under the shade of a tree. I ask you, is that too much to wish for?
I’ve been trying to read, oh so slowly, My Antonia
I’ve also been listening to The Help
Does anyone else like to listen to recorded books? It is a wonderful way to pass the time while weeding. If you saw the weeds in my garden, you would know I haven’t had time to listen (or weed) much either.
So on the lucky chance that you have more leisure time than I do…
I thought I would share a few of my favorite books from summers past.
I first read this book when I was in high school. It was recommended to me by my favorite teacher, Miss Lees, who taught English and Humanities. I loved this book so much, I’ve read it several times since.
Katherine
What can I say about The Book Thief
All the Pretty Horses
So there are a few of my favorite books. I would love to hear your short list. When I finish My Antonia… I don’t have anything I’m dying to read next.
i love summertime reading. i just wrote about this a few days ago, about the josephine b. books by sandra gulland. such a great read especially if you like historical fiction. and too funny about the weeds..if you wait long enough, the weeds will eventually die (or be hidden under a blanket of snow)… too bad the same can’t be said of laundry. there’s always laundry…
have a nice weekend…
~ ana
I read All the Pretty Horses this summer, too. I had just returned from a trip to West Texas and quickly found myself lost in that landscape again. I’m looking forward to the other two books in that Border Trilogy. McCarthy’s The Road was one of my favorite-ever books, to my great surprise. Its story was so compelling and human, I read it through in one (very late) night.
Yesterday, I finished Barbara Kingsolver’s The Lacuna, marvelously crafted as always, filled with historical details and characters. It’s a nice thick book, but still I was torn between unwillingness to put it down and the desire to make it last as long as I could.
I just finished reading These is My Words by Nancy Turner. I absolutely loved it. I also just reread To Kill a Mockingbird, probably my favorite book ever.
I loved The Help so, so much. Once I read it and “heard” the voices, I knew I needed to listen to it as well.
My favorite read so far this summer was The Crowning Glory of Calla Lily Ponder by Rebecca Wells. I absolutely loved it and while I didn’t want to put it down, I also didn’t ever want it to end.
Have you ever read anything by Sarah Addison Allen? Garden Spells is my favorite of hers. Very imaginative and fun. I also enjoyed Sugar Queen.
Big Girl by Danielle Steel was another one I enjoyed on vacation this year. It was outside of what my perceptions of Danielle Steel were so maybe that’s why I loved it so much. It was not her 80s “boy loves girl, boy loses girl, boy gets girl back” recipe.
My favorite book that I have read this summer is Chains, by Laurie Halse Anderson. I promise you that you won’t be able to put it down! It is an amazing story and there will be a sequel, Forge, coming out in October. Enjoy!!!
Thanks for the great book suggestions! I’ve had My Antonia on my list for a while. I need to pick that up. I thoroughly enjoyed The Help – I bet it’s a fun one to listen to! Okay, here’s my suggestion for you: The Hunger Games. Totally didn’t sound like something I would like, but I couldn’t put it down. I’m waiting anxiously for the third in the trilogy to come out later in August!
I just finished Jane Eyre for the first time. I knew there was a reason everyone loved it, and I’m glad I got started. It went fast! My husband and I love to read together. One of our favorite authors is Dashiell Hammett. He writes gumshoe whodunit and they are always a hoot. Start with The Thin Man. Short novels with lots of action and adventure. Kind of like Treasure Island, but with detectives and robbers.
I haven’t had much time to read this summer either. I did read a sweet little book, which I think is out of print, Papa’s Wife. It is reminiscent of The Sound of Music. I love To Kill a Mockingbird, and I would definitely suggest anything by Charles Martin, start with my favorite of his Wrapped in Rain.
I’m an avid reader, so I really appreciate your book suggestions–as well as suggestions from your “followers.” I totally agree with your comments about The Book Thief—I will always remember this book. Because I read a lot, if a book stands out in my mind–I figure it must be good. Believe me, I will always recommend The Book Thief. I would also recommend The Help, as Kristi suggested. Other books I recommend:
The Bee Keeper’s Apprentice by Laurie B. King
Under A Marble Sky by John Shors
If you like mysteries: I love all the “Prey” books by John Sanford and any books by Nelson DeMille, especially–Charm School, Plum Island, Night Fall
Secret Daughter by Shilpi Somaya Gowda
Shanghai Girls by lisa See
Now you know why I’m not known for MY gardening skills! But, I’ll have to try listening to books on tape–great idea!
Oh, I’m so glad to have all these suggestions! I’ve been planning my daughter’s wedding all summer, so reading was last on my list [although GREATLY missed!]. I usually read every spare moment so recorded books are wonderful for me during dish washing, sewing, and other activities.
Willa Cather has been waiting in the wings for me to pick up. I’m glad you suggested her. To Kill a Mockingbird is a huge favorite. I liked the Prisoner of Zenda a lot, too. The Bertie and Jeeves books, by P.G. Wodehouse can make me cheerful for weeks! Ah, so many books, so little time!
Precious Bane by Mary Webb is a wonderful book
Thank you for suggesting reading Katherine. I loved it. That is a time period I’m very interested in. But there is another reason I am thanking you. I was researching my husband’s genealogy and saw a line going back into the middle ages. I recognized one of the names because it was a character in Katherine. Mary De Bohun was the cousin of my husband’s ancester. That make him and my kids cousins to the Plantagenets. Now I just have to prove all this. Wouldn’t have known to look in that direction if I hadn’t read Katherine.
Wow, that is so amazing. It’s just incredible when history jumps off the page into your life! Thank you so much for sharing.