And for good or for ill, this has always stuck with me. I'd pore over high school reading lists and pick up one "good for me" book as well as a stack of my favorites each time I went to the library or bookstore. I've tried to go on reading binges of the classics. I made my way through David Copperfield and The Mill on the Floss while traveling in Africa and enjoyed them, but they took me forever (which was a good thing, because in some places, books were hard to come by). I think some of it is the difference between classics and modern books that Nathan Bransford addressed in his blog today. But to be honest, some of it is just that sunshine and free time seem to call for something else.I find myself craving books that will make me laugh. That will remind me of what love feels like. That will transport me wholly and fully to another world, another time, another country.
I recently finished MY LIFE NEXT DOOR by Huntley Fitzpatrick and submerged myself in a summer world I've never experienced - a beachfront community in Connecticut - and in a love story that feels deep and true.
I'm now reading CROAK by Gina Damico - another summer, another east coast setting, but a completely different world (one in which the protagonist is a grim reaper). This book is hilarious and I'm reading it slowly to prolong the enjoyment.Now, summer reads don't have to be about summer. And they don't have to be "fluff." I know how they make me feel, but they kind of defy definition. They just feel good.
How about you? What would you call a "summer read"?
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When I think of a summer read, I think of something light, fun, and just overall smile-worthy. The books I think of as summer reads are Lola and the Boy Next Door by Stephanie Perkins, Flawless by Lara Chapman, and The Internet Girls Trilogy (ttyl, ttfn, and l8r g8r) by Lauren Myracle. All of them are definitely fun and light reads, but they also have a bit of a moral to them as well without getting TOO heavy. :) Also, as a librarian, it warms my heart to hear you say what an avid library patron you were during the summer. Thank you, and I'm so looking forward to reading Gilt!
ReplyDeleteI completely agree with your summer reads! And I'm still an avid library patron, as are my children - in fact, we're due for a book run today...
DeleteI do think of something pretty light, but I actually read whatever I please over the summer. Haha. I guess if I could choose anything, I would go for books with happy endings, ones that make me feel sunny, ones that make me forget that I have to work every day rather than go to the beach. Summer is a good time for traveling through novels.
ReplyDeleteCroak = one of my favorites! So excited to read My Life Next Door. Ahhhh!
I do love happy endings! And I love this: "Summer is a good time for traveling through novels." So true.
DeleteI just finished three books in quick succession: Twenty Boy Summer by Sarah Ockler, Prized by Caragh O'Brien, and Sweetly by Jackson Pearce. All qualify as summer reads.
ReplyDeleteOkay, honestly, I've never distinguished. A summer or "beach" read is a book I can't put down, no matter where I am or what time of year it is.
Yes, Beth! I read Lola and the Boy Next Door in the middle of winter - perfect at any time of year. And I just picked up Ockler's Bittersweet. Can't wait to dive in...
DeleteI have been in a reading “slump” the past couple months, with an unfinished book on my night stand, "The Wolf Gift," by Anne Rice. The novel really grabbed me at first, as I’ve always enjoyed the way Ms. Rice composes her stories. However, I was enrolled in two animal therapeutic nutrition courses, and had a difficult time focusing on reading the book. Courses completed just in time to discover “Gilt.” What a refreshing change of subject and style! I took my time and sifted through the pages, reading every word (I have been known to skip a bit here and there). During the final fourth of the book, I couldn’t put it down and stayed up way beyond my bed time for the finish! I enjoyed this book so much that it became a concern as to what I would read next! I wanted something as new and refreshing as "Gilt." I may have found it!
ReplyDeleteLooking over the books at Costco the other day, I picked up "Wild" by Cheryl Strayed. It is about a young woman who hiked 1,100 miles on The Pacific Crest Trail alone at 22-years-old. I first heard of this amazing trail in 1972 when I read Colin Fletcher’s, "The Complete Walker." He was one of the first to complete the entire journey without stopping. At 17 years of age, I so wanted to do that hike. I received so much resistance from friends and family, that I never made the journey. Now I get to with "Wild." I am now into my 2nd chapter and it has me hooked!
What a great way to begin my summer, traveling with Queen Howard and Kitty through castles in Gilt; hiking less-travelled trails through the wilderness with Cheryl Strayed in Wild; and possibly catching a glimpse of a wolfman in the northern California coastal mountains with The Wolf Gift (yes, I will finish the book).
What does YOUR summer look like?