Summer Reads

"One benefit of summer was that

each day we had more light to read by."

-Jeanette Walls, The Glass Castle

Happy Summer to you!

I hope you’re smelling honeysuckle and magnolia, eating fresh from the farmers’ markets, and enjoying the longer days. I’m on my back porch, relishing the bird songs that will then switch to owl calls and tree frog choruses when the afternoon fades. I do love the summer!

If you’re looking for some book suggestions for the longer days I have a few, depending on your mood:

In a reflective mood?

Two books I read lately will get you thinking in a different way. Neither is long, but both pack a punch.

CITIZEN, AN AMERICAN LYRIC by Claudia Rankine reads like an essay and a poem at the same time. It has art. It has photographs. And it won a ton of awards. It’s written in second person, so it feels personal. You step into the shoes of a Black American woman through beautiful writing. And you learn from her.

WHITE WOMEN by Regina Jackson and Saira Rao is truly an “in your face” racial book. It’s aimed at white women, and it doesn’t let you off the hook. Ever. I don’t agree with every line in it, but I think that is why it targets people like me. It’s meant to be discussed. It may make you mad. It will definitely make you think.

Looking for a lighter read?

TRAVELS WITH CHARLEY by John Steinbeck is a classic from 1962. I hadn’t read this one until my book club read it this year. It’s like a travelogue across mid-century America. I enjoyed the vintage feel, the nostalgia created in the descriptions of a slower paced time, and I fell in love with Charley (the dog).

I stumbled across my last recommendation and I think it’s classified as a novella, being under 100 pages. I’d love it if someone else reads it and tells me what they think!

THE ENGLISH UNDERSTAND WOOL by Helen DeWitt is mysterious and quirky. A lot is packed into its few pages, and it's worth a second read now that I know the ending. (Kind of like watching an Agatha Christie show the second time so you can spot the clues…) Perfect for a lazy afternoon.

I'd love to know what books you would recommend for me!

Enjoy these summer days, however you choose to spend them! ~J