Summer Reading

My nightstand overfloweth!

Yes, I admit it, I'm a book hound. I can't help myself. Even when I have a pile of books waiting to be read, I still can't resist browsing every bookstore I pass.

The pile on the nightstand next to my bed has now reached the bottom of the lampshade that also resides there, which is the benchmark that tells me it's time to get cracking and start plowing through some of these.

Unless I get totally engrossed in a story--in which case, I finish the book in a day or two--I usually wind up toggling between two different books, depending on my mood. Here are the books I have piled up, in the order that I intend to read them:


Stern Men by Elizabeth Gilbert
This was the novel she wrote before Eat, Pray, Love (which I absolutely adored). The story takes place off the coast of Maine and centers around the long-standing feud between two groups of local lobstermen. The book's heroine, Ruth Thomas, sounds like the type of strong-willed female character that I enjoy reading about, so I have high hopes for this one.

Me Talk Pretty One Day by David Sedaris
I've heard so much buzz about this book of humorous essays, but I confess, I've never read any of Sedaris' stuff. I like essay compilations because they're the type of books you can put down for a few days and then pick up again and not be totally lost.

A Year On Ladybug Farm by Donna Ball
This is a novel about three middle-aged women who are best friends, each looking to make a big change in their lives. They decide to buy a fixer-upper mansion in Georgia, and spend a year renovating the place together. I read a review of this book in People magazine and it made me want to go out and buy it. I started reading it a few weeks ago but had trouble getting into it, so I set it aside and plan to give it another chance.


The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows
There's a blurb from Elizabeth Gilbert on the front recommending this novel, but that wasn't quite enough to get me to purchase it when I first saw it in the store. Then, my sister-in-law asked me if I'd read it and said that she enjoyed it very much, so she loaned me her copy. It takes place in 1946 on the island of Guernsey during the German Occupation, so I'm not sure how this one will be, but I'm willing to give it a whirl.

The Jane Austen Book Club by Karen Joy Fowler
I'm a huge Jane Austen fan, and so is my eldest daughter, so we couldn't resist picking this one up. She's going to read it first and then it'll be my turn!

Ladies of Liberty: The Women Who Shaped Our Nation by Cokie Roberts
The only non-fiction book in the bunch, which is unusual for me, because I love reading non-fiction. This one offers insight into the lives of exceptional women from our country's history, including Abigail Adams, Dolley Madison, Sacagawea, Elizabeth Seton and Martha Washington. It reminds me of another book I read, First Mothers by Bonnie Angelo, which was a fascinating look at the lives and personalities of the mothers whose sons went on to become the President of the United States.