Summer Reading List


I mentioned on the Bucket List that I wanted to read 15 books this summer. A lot of them are already sitting on my book shelf just waiting to be picked up and every time I walk by I feel a little twinge of excitement.

It’s an ambitious goal for me because we have a lot on our plates this season but these are the 15 books I’m hoping to get through:

1. 50 Shades of Grey – Listen, I just need to see what all the fuss is about. I’m not committing to the series or the genre, but since it’s already so much a part of the seasonal pop culture zeitgeist, it’d be a shame to pass it up!

2. Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand – This is our book club selection for the month and I honestly can’t wait to finally read it since I’ve heard it is such an emotional book. Garrett and I are reading it together and hosting the discussion. Two of my favorite things!

3. Dark Places by Gillian FlynnI read Gillian Flynn’s first book last summer and it was a real page turner. This is her second book and I hear it is even better! Not to mention she already has a third out and I *really* want to read that, but I’m sort of OCD in that I like to read authors’ books in order when I can. Lame.


4. Faithful Place by Tana French – I’m going to try and not let so much time pass by between my Tana French experiences this time around. Plus she has an awesome looking book coming out this summer too, and obviously I have to read the books in order! 🙂

5. Most Talkative: Stories From the Front Lines of Pop Culture by Andy Cohen – You know I’ll buy anything Bravo sells, so I clearly need to know everything there is to know about Andy Cohen! Plus, it’s been a while since I’ve read a celebrity autobiography so you didn’t have to.

6. State of Wonder by Ann Patchett – I just really think this has an engaging sounding plot summary — Amazon jungles! Mysteries! Death! Adventure! I mean that has the makings for a pretty good summer book, right? Besides, everyone I know who read it loved it. Sold!

7. The Lifeboat by Charlotte Rogan – This was a total impulse buy that I made for the kindle the day after I downloaded the kindle app for my phone. It sounds suuuuuuuuuuper good!

8. The Visible Man by Chuck Klosterman – So Chuck Klosterman has long been a favorite of mine, and as an author he falls into the category of “I’d Read Anything He Writes.” He writes hilarious non-fiction that I can’t get enough of, and this is his first foray into fiction. It’s totally going on the list!

9. The Fault in Our Stars by John Green – I like John Green just fine. I’m not his most hyperventilating super fan, but he writes good Young Adult books. Everyone seems to be raving about this little gem, so I’m willing to see what it’s got.

10. The Cradle In The Grave by Sophie Hannah – A long time ago Amazon sent me a creepy email that told me if I liked Tana French I would like Sophie Hannah. I trusted them. They were right. Damn computer-bots! Since then I’ve read everything she’s ever written. Except this. I’m going to remedy that.

11. Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn – I only get to read the NEW Gillian Flynn if I read the OLD Gillian Flynn. But OOOOOOMMMMGGGGG, how can you not read what this is about and not want to know “What’s in the box???” (That was my best Brad Pitt impersonation, btw.)

12. The Creative Habit by Twyla Tharp and Mark Reiter – I first read about this on Elise’s blog. Sounded intriguing, so I reserved it at the library. That’s Standard Operating Procedure around here.


13. Broken Harbor by Tana French – No NEW Tana without reading OLD Tana. Man, I’m quite the book Nazi, aren’t I? Lucky for me this doesn’t even come out until July 24th, so I am buying myself a little bit of time to catch up. Whew!

14. The Calling by Kelley Armstrong – So, I read the first book in this trilogy last year but I just looked back at all of my book reviews and I never included it! How Rude! Well let me quickly recap: Young adult. Trilogy. Werewolves. Weird Happenings. You know, the usual. Anyway, the first one is a friggin cliff hanger and then the second one didn’t come out for like a year. Man! Hate that. Anyway, this is the second. I don’t really expect great things, but I just need to know how the story ends, of course.

15. Wild: From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail by Cheryl Strayed – I got totally suckered in to wanting to read this book by Goodreads. Every time I would get on to update my reading list there would be a banner ad for this book or a link to the book trailer. Finally one day I watched it and I was sold. I love a good memoir, and especially one about recovering from grief…HELLO, you know me and this particular brand of torture. I’m all over it. Even in the summer.

*****

Have you read any of these? Are any of them on your Summer Reading List?

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17 Responses to Summer Reading List

  1. Emily says:

    Ok, 50 Shades of Gray. I read the first one, didn’t see what the hype was, and then tried the second, because I heard there was more of a plot. I am happy to be in the know, now that I’ve read two of them, but I am NOT AT ALL interested in book #3. I just… I just don’t get it. I kind of find her… pathetic? And the relationship doesn’t seem REAL to me. Anyway. My take on that.

    I love Tana French (no idea she had a new one coming out!) and I just finished The Fault in our Stars last week and I found it really moving. I loved it. Loved the Ann Patchett one too – and now I’m going to have to check out this Lifeboat book and Sophie person. I just read Anne Lamott’s latest novel and liked it – it seems to get mixed reviews.

    Looking good, Holly!! Can’t wait to hear what you think about these!

    • Holly says:

      Yeah so far I’m just not getting the hype, but hey at least it’s a quick read (ahem, skim!) Definitely check out Sophie Hannah, it’s sort of the same moody types of mysteries as Tana French. Definitely different, but those Amazon mind-readers were totally right!

  2. Kristin says:

    Unbroken is AMAZING!!! You will love it! It is incredibly good and very well written. I read all three 50 Shades books… (Because once I read one I had to finish) I don’t get the hype. At all. They weren’t that well written and quite frankly not “shocking” as everyone said they would be. I will have to check out some of the others you mentioned – going to look up The Lifeboat on my Kindle right now!

    • Holly says:

      Well let me tell you, I can’t WAIT for a well-written book after 50 Shades! haha 🙂

  3. Elizabeth says:

    I am reading Gone, Girl right now. AND I DIDN”T READ HER OTHER BOOKS.
    But seriously, it’s SO GOOD.
    Ha ha ha.

    • Holly says:

      THE HORROR!!!!! 🙂

      Glad to hear it is good! If it got the EBJ stamp of approval I will probably enjoy it.

  4. Kim says:

    I have to agree with the other 50 Shades posters in that I wasn’t at all impressed with the book. I’m going to read the second just to see where it goes, but I’m in no hurry to read it.

  5. Mallory says:

    I had never heard of Unbroken until this week, and a friend from work loaned me the audio book. I can’t wait to get started on it!

  6. LizScott says:

    I have DEEP BURNING HATRED for State of Wonder.

    That is all.

  7. Maureen says:

    I also read the Fifty Shades of Grey to see what is was all about. I was shocked that it wasn’t more shocking! I guess after all the hype I expected much more, oh I don’t know, everything. I had also downloaded the second, but didn’t read the whole thing, and like Emily already said, I have no interest in the 3rd.

    Can you believe I have several Tana French books, unread, in a box in my shed? I had to do a quick clean of the bedroom, so I boxed a bunch of books and hauled them out. I have been meaning to go dig those out, now I know I HAVE to!

    • Holly says:

      Oh man, dig them out immediately! But you kind of do have to read in order since the characters from each book kind of build on each other. They aren’t really series books, and they aren’t sequels, but in the second book there is more exploration of characters in the first and so on and so forth. I’d read In The Woods first. So good!

  8. Mary says:

    I’ve also bought 50 Shades of Grey because of the hype but haven’t read it yet. LOVE The Fault in Our Stars. I’ve read other John Green books and liked them, but decided he was brilliant after TFIOS. I think you’ll love it also.

    My husband loves Chuck Klosterman and I don’t think he knew a new book came out so I’ll have to pass that tidbit along. And I’m probably going to add the Andy Cohen book to my GoodReads list. I think that’s a good suggestion for summer read.

  9. Linda Sand says:

    My daughter is preparing to solo hike the Pacific Crest Trail. Should or, or should I not, read Lost?

    • Holly says:

      HA! I’m not sure, since I *want* to read it, I haven’t actually read it yet. But I have known a number of people to do it successfully and enjoy it! That’s so ambitious! 🙂

  10. poodlegoose says:

    Read all of Tana French’s stuff and waiting for her new one. I’ll check out Sophie Hannah’s on your recommendation (and then blame it on Amazon if I don’t like it) 🙂