There is just something about Summer and reading. Maybe it’s leftover from school days when we’d trek to the library and sign up for the Summer reading program and come home with a bag full of books. Who am I kidding I did that last Wednesday (yes I signed both Teddy and Me up for Summer reading programs I need that fee waiver!)
So with Summer in full swing, I know this to be true because I’ve thought it’s hot at least 20 times in the last hour, I present to you my Summer Reading list well my list thus far and only the good ones so you don’t have to waste your time on ones that I didn’t enjoy ;) Want to know what I’m reading as I go? Make sure to sign up for my newsletter where every week I share what I’m currently week!
Click the titles or pictures to go read the descriptions of each book.
Things We Know By Heart
Need a fun Summer read that’s not your same old same old? This is the one. This is what I call “no more sick lit” you know where one of the main characters has spent most of their life fighting off a deadly disease but now needs to figure out how to be normal? While it does touch on some serious topics it’s a fast and easy read with good likable characters. This would be a great vacation or beach read. Cute book and I loved the audio bersion
French Kids Eat Everything
French Kids Eat EverythingWhat’s this a non-fiction book? Indeed but I had to include it because I kind of LOVED this book. I’m sure I’ll get grief about this but I’m really disturbed by how most American kids eat or rather don’t eat and the fact that parents and our society thinks it’s unavoidable. What I loved about this book was that she made applying the French perspective doable for a normal North American family in America. (Bringing Up Bebe which I also read and I thought was good in other ways was more this is how they do it and I was left wondering how we get to that point).
I loved how she shared the steps her family took and the steps SHE took as the mom to get her family where she wanted to be. It’s one thing to have ideals for the kids but really it starts with mom both changing her attitude towards food and how she prepares, offers, and talks about food with the family.
There is so much that I loved but one of the things that really stuck to me was that French kids eat well and there aren’t power struggles, threats, or bribes. It’s not about being a tyrant when it comes to food it really is about teaching your kids to appreciate food and giving them many many many opportunities to develop tastes for various foods. I will no longer entertain talk about what kids do or do not like eating when they have only tried a food item a handful of times. Until they’ve tried the food 20+ times cooked many different ways I’ll just figure they weren’t in the mood for it that day or haven’t given it a good enough chance.
I really loved this if you are even the slightest bit interested I recommend picking it up. The audiobook was great. It’s VERY interesting and informative.
99 Days
This is an interesting contemporary. A girl comes back to the town where she was the center of some serious drama. After cheating on her boyfriend with his brother and having everyone shun her she’s back or the Summer before college. It’s got some serious things but more than that it’s a really cute Summer story with some romance and interesting relationship dynamics. While it’s not a “message-y” book I did love how it exploited the fact that so many times in cheating situations the girl gets all the grief when it takes two to tango. I flew through the audiobook. This would be a fun one to take to the beach or on a weekend getaway.
Mark of the Thief
I absolutely adored the Ascendance trilogy (starts with The False Prince), so I was super excited when I learned that Jennifer Nielsen had written another book. But this didn’t wow me. Don’t get me wrong, it was good, I’m glad I read it, I do recommend it. But it’s not one you need to rush to read. In fact it took me almost a month to get through and I tend to read books like this in under a week. It just didn’t grab me and keep me going. Still fun, still good though.
Theodosia and the Staff of Osiris
I’ve decided I am quite fond of Theodosia. I’ve read three of the books in the series now. This is book 2. And they are just quick easy fun. Don’t expect the depth and insight from LaFever’s other AH-mazing series His Fair Assassins, but these are good in their own right. Quirky, fun, midgrade full of adventure and bright kids fighting evil. Good for boys and girls. The audiobook is a must.
The Girl on the Train
Not my normal kind of book. This is probably the most popular book club book right now so of course for our first month my book club read it ;) It had so many things I didn’t like – unlikable characters, everything happens in the narrators’ mind’s (very little dialogue), and I didn’t really like it that much until the ending and I just am not sure a book should hinge THAT drastically on the ending, shouldn’t I like it along the way too? But even with all of that I still liked it so that’s definitely something. I’ve definitely an interesting read that will keep you entertained. The audiobook was good! It is adult and deals with cheating, I know that some people can’t read about that stuff.
Magonia
This has been marketed as a sci-fi fantasy take on The Fault in Our Stars. And I honestly think that’s a good description. When I heard that it also incorporates alternative realities I was giddy. It was good but I wanted to like it more. The story was so interesting with many twists and turns yet it’s a pretty short book. I think it could have been longer and developed/explained a few things more. But the biggest barrier for me was that it was kind of creature-y. I’m all about sci-fi technology and fantasy powers but when it comes to animals talking and characters being more beast-like than human I loose interest. I enjoyed it but it just wasn’t my favorite. That being said if you do like the creature-y tales I think you should check Magonia out because it’s a super creative very interesting book. Also the audio version was great. Two perspectives with two readers. I LOOOOVE when they don’t force once reader to do both genders!
Ignite
This is book 2 of the Defy series you might remember my gushing about book 1. Well this sequel is just as good. Seriously if you like action, royalty, strong interesting brave girls that can kick but, and romance you need to pick up this series it is one of my new favorites. I don’t want to give any spoilers for book one but I enjoyed it so much that I wanted to give it a shout out!
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